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Showing results for "striking"
  • present participle of strike.
Synonyms

striking

American  
[strahy-king] / ˈstraɪ kɪŋ /

adjective

  1. attractive; impressive.

    a scene of striking beauty.

    Synonyms:
    outstanding, noteworthy, remarkable
  2. noticeable; conspicuous.

    a striking lack of enthusiasm.

  3. being on strike, as workers.

    1. capable of attacking an enemy, especially by air.

      striking power.

    2. within the extent of space through which it is possible to attack a target effectively.

      striking distance.


striking British  
/ ˈstraɪkɪŋ /

adjective

  1. attracting attention; fine; impressive

    a striking beauty

  2. conspicuous; noticeable

    a striking difference

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of striking

First recorded in 1605–15; strike + -ing 2


Explanation

Something striking grabs your attention because it’s vivid and surprising. Many twins have a striking resemblance. People in red satin evening gowns, the pyramids in Egypt, and platform heels with fish in them are also striking. Anything striking is hard not to notice; it almost hits, or strikes, you with surprise, like a toddler in a tuxedo. People can be striking, and so can landscapes — one of the most striking sights in the world is the Grand Canyon, which is why so many people visit just to look at it. Non-visual things can be striking too, like a striking thought that makes you shout, “Eureka!”

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Vocabulary lists containing striking

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Speaking of storytelling and AI: The New York Times has just published a striking visualization of how many data-center calculations go into training large language models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Dodgers need that guy striking fear into opponents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

One particularly striking pattern is that every summer from 2007 through 2026 ranks among the 20 lowest September sea ice extents in the satellite record.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

The club's recruitment department is working on potential targets for January given it is accepted the strategy of not signing left-back competition for Luke Shaw and striking support for Benjamin Sesko was flawed.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

“Come on!” he cried, striking out after the men.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

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