stride

American  

[strahyd] / straɪd /

verb (used without object)

• strides,
  present (3rd person singular)
• strode,
  past participle,  past
• stridden,
  past participle
• striding
  present participle

1. to walk with long steps, as with vigor, haste, impatience, or arrogance.

2. to take a long step.

   to stride across a puddle.

3. to straddle.

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verb (used with object)

• strides,
  present (3rd person singular)
• strode,
  past participle,  past
• stridden,
  past participle
• striding
  present participle

1. to walk with long steps along, on, through, over, etc..

   to stride the deck.

2. to pass over or across in one long step.

   to stride a ditch.

3. to straddle.

noun

• strides
  plural

1. a striding manner or a striding gait.

2. a long step in walking.

3. (in animal locomotion) the act of progressive movement completed when all the feet are returned to the same relative position as at the beginning.

4. the distance covered by such a movement.

   He was walking a stride or two ahead of the others.

5. a regular or steady course, pace, etc.

6. a step forward in development or progress.

   rapid strides in mastering algebra.

   Synonyms:

   improvement, headway, progress, development, advancement

7. Australian Informal. strides, trousers.

idioms

1. hit one's stride,

   1. to achieve a regular or steady pace or course.

   2. to reach the point or level at which one functions most competently and consistently.

      The quarterback didn't hit his stride until the second half of the game.

2. take in stride, to deal with calmly; cope with successfully.

   She was able to take her sudden rise to fame in stride.

stride British  

/ straɪd /

noun

1. a long step or pace

2. the space measured by such a step

3. a striding gait

4. an act of forward movement by an animal, completed when the legs have returned to their initial relative positions

5. progress or development (esp in the phrase make rapid strides )

6. a regular pace or rate of progress

   to get into one's stride

   to be put off one's stride

7. rowing the distance covered between strokes

8. Also called: stride piano. jazz a piano style characterized by single bass notes on the first and third beats and chords on the second and fourth

9. informal (plural) men's trousers

10. to do something without difficulty or effort

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verb

1. (intr) to walk with long regular or measured paces, as in haste, etc

2. (tr) to cover or traverse by striding

   he strode thirty miles

3. to cross (over a space, obstacle, etc) with a stride

4. (intr) rowing to achieve the desired rhythm in a racing shell

stride More Idioms  

1. see hit one's stride; make great strides; take in stride.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• strider
  noun
• outstride
  verb (used with object)
• stridingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• strides
  plural

Participles

• striding
  present
• stridden
  past
• strode
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stride
  simple
• strides
  simple
• have stridden
  perfect
• have strode
  perfect
• has stridden
  perfect
• has strode
  perfect
• am striding
  progressive
• are striding
  progressive
• is striding
  progressive
• have been striding
  perfect progressive
• has been striding
  perfect progressive

Past

• strode
  simple
• had stridden
  perfect
• had strode
  perfect
• was striding
  progressive
• were striding
  progressive
• had been striding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stride
  simple
• will have stridden
  perfect
• will have strode
  perfect
• will be striding
  progressive
• will have been striding
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of stride

First recorded before 900; (verb) Middle English striden, Old English strīdan; cognate with Dutch strijden, Low German strīden “to stride”; (noun) Middle English stride, derivative of the verb; akin to straddle

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Explanation

The noun stride means "significant progress." You might make a huge stride towards making peace with the rival school by hosting a block party and inviting their students. The noun stride also means "a step made while running or walking." If you are bored, you can count your strides between home and the bus stop. As a verb, stride means "to walk or run by taking long steps." Elite runners stride, making it look easy. But even if you are a slow jogger, don't give up — you make great strides to improve your health when you exercise regularly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stride strides strode stridden striding

Angel City finally found its stride this summer when it fired manager Alexander Straus and replaced him with assistant Leif Gunnar Smerud.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026

When Minaj was in her stride, she earned the moniker “Queen of Rap.”

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2026

She concludes: "It's really feeling like they're finding their stride and their rhythm with it. And I think that's going to develop more and more - very much as the celebrities do."

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

On the surface, higher-education institutions, especially the nation’s most selective ones, are taking the dip in computer-science enrollment in stride.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

“Did you ever notice,” Isa said to Jessie after watching Big Zee stride down the street with his Chihuahua skipping behind him, “that we know everyone in this neighborhood?”

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

“California has made important strides in expanding student supports and opportunities, but the pace of academic improvement reminds us that our work is far from finished,” Thurmond said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

Republicans have made strides, but there is still plenty to do.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

"But when I met my oncologist I realised how ignorant I was and what gargantuan strides medicine has made recently."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

"We've made great strides, very positive for both countries," Trump told reporters as he had tea with Xi at the White House on Friday before the archives trip.

From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026

And when Karin finally gets impatient, she strides over with a spoon and lifts the lid of the pot.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

On Aug. 5, Betancourt strode into a conference room behind the art deco facade of the old Greyhound Bus Terminal in downtown Washington that houses an auxiliary Pentagon office.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

The 6-foot-5 soccer star who had just charmed America carried his little friend up the stairs, strode onto the aircraft and wedged him into a business-class seat to cross the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Traore has remained cool, calm and collected throughout his journey, even when he strode on to the NFL Draft stage.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

"I'm the boss," Trump said as he strode in to the morning session of the last day, with the other leaders already in their seats.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Simon gave Penelope a helpless look, adjusted his dress, and strode back in.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

And it is into this perceived vacuum that Andy Burnham has stridden, again, to the intense irritation of Downing Street and plenty of Labour MPs.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2025

He had stridden through the deep woods with no thought of danger; he concentrated only on finding the pair that he had seen so close to death.

From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry

But when the last soldier had stridden clanking out of the tent, a distant thudding became audible, like the approach of a body of horse.

From The Path to Honour by Sydney C. Grier

And Oliver, with "I don't think he'll keep me long, mother; I suppose you'll still be here when I come back?" had stridden off with a certain reluctance towards the house.

From Love and hatred by Marie Belloc Lowndes

But he spake nought thereof, and strode on toward the Uttermost House, even as that other day he had stridden away from it.

From The Story of the Glittering Plain; or, the land of Living Men by William Morris

There we discover that she is striding forward, signaling that the American project isn’t a one-off but a ceaseless effort.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

One imagines not the ghost of Cathy or Heathcliff, but a trio of women, very much alive and striding through the heather, their minds alight with the stories they would tell, set among similar terrain.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026

It will be Vance striding toward planes in photographs and Vance standing behind podiums to explain why negotiations aren’t working.

From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026

Other photos from the parade showed Ju Ae striding a red carpet next to her father as he received salutes from North Korea's military top brass.

From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026

“She is uncalled and unwanted here,” said Ellidyr, striding up.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

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