stranded
1 Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stranded1
First recorded in 1700–10 in its literal sense “run or driven ashore,” and in its figurative sense in 1850–55; strand 1 ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Origin of stranded2
Explanation
If you’re stuck somewhere with no way of getting anywhere else, you’re stranded. If you run out of gas while driving in the desert, you'll be stranded until someone finds you. Good luck! If you’re stranded, you probably experienced some kind of transportation failure. You might see stranded travelers at an airport in the middle of a blizzard. Boats can be stranded if their engines break down. Anything left behind or stuck can be called stranded, like a stranded fish in a tidal pool, or a stranded child at a fair. Stranded involves being left somewhere unpleasant, remote, or inconvenient — if you’re stuck at an amazing restaurant you're really not stranded.
Vocabulary lists containing stranded
Holes
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Bridge to Terabithia
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for November 27–December 3, 2021
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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.
Also, ship owners might hesitate to send vessels back into the Persian Gulf amid concerns the cease-fire could collapse, potentially leaving ships stranded once again, according to the analysts.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
While Tinsley had struggled to find the zone that inning, she stranded the runners, striking out one batter and eliciting a groundout to short.
From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026
I was relieved I wasn’t stranded on a mountain, hauling 5 pounds of dead robot weight.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
It became stranded in Lübeck Bay after apparently becoming entangled in netting.
From BBC • May 20, 2026
A car, molded in snow, was stranded sideways in the street.
From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
