stranded
1 Americanadjective
adjective
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
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.
She was found stranded as a days-old pup in July 2023 and spent time with another facility before arriving at the Aquarium of the Pacific in March 2026, according to the aquarium.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
But airlines and industry experts say it’s unlikely that Americans will be stranded in Europe this summer.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026
Prosecutors at Reading Crown Court said any competent driver should still have avoided the Micra as it stood stranded on the M4 westbound between junctions 11 and 12.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Thousands of its customers were stranded while some of its flight attendants and pilots slept on airport floors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Some of them were scrambling down the cliff face to get a closer view of the stranded ship.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
