stranded

¹ American  

[stran-did] / ˈstræn dɪd /

adjective

1. left helpless or without transport.

   Officials said many people remained stranded even though floodwaters were receding.

   Synonyms:

   abandoned, left in the lurch, forsaken, deserted

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stranded ² American  

[stran-did] / ˈstræn dɪd /

adjective

1. composed of a specified number or kind of strands (usually used in combination).

   a five-stranded rope.

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Other Word Forms

• strandedness noun
• unstranded adjective

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

First recorded in 1805–15; strand ² + -ed ³

Example Sentences

Director Mohammed Ali Naqvi's pacey documentary tells the real life story of the rescue of Pakistani schoolboys stranded hundreds of feet above a Himalayan valley in a rusting cable car when wires snap.

From Barron's

But he alleged that his son remained stranded for hours because they did not have the resources to pull him out.

From BBC

The wicketkeeper batter was left stranded on 93, but his knock proved the glue that held Sri Lanka's innings together after the top order wobbled against England's spin.

From Barron's

The Sunday before last, Blake DeBok snowmobiled out to nine wild horses he was told were stranded in deep snow north of Mammoth Lakes.

From Los Angeles Times

"Hanging by a Wire" tells the story of the nail-biting race to save schoolboys dangling from a stranded cable car in the Himalayan foothills.

From Barron's

Related Words

• aground
• ashore
• grounded
• helpless
• wrecked