affected strongly by something negative or harmful, such as illness, grief, fear, or disaster.
Past participle of 'strike,' from Old English 'strican' (to move, strike, go). Originally meaning 'struck' or 'hit,' it evolved metaphorically to describe being 'hit' by misfortune or emotion. The poetic past participle form is archaic in modern usage but survives in fixed expressions.
The beautiful thing about 'stricken' is that it treats emotions and disasters like physical blows—'stricken with grief' or 'stricken with illness'—language recognizes that emotional pain can hit as hard as a physical strike. It's why we call bad news 'shocking.'
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