strewn
Americanadjective
-
covered or overspread with something scattered or sprinkled (used in combination).
We saw men, women, and children scavenging for recyclables, both in the actual dump site and along the garbage-strewn streets of the city.
-
dropped in separate pieces or particles over a surface; scattered.
The dancers led a candlelight procession through the district, following a path of strewn marigold petals.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of strewn
First recorded in 1610–20 as a verb, and in 1725–35 as an adjective
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.
By Sunday morning the rubbish strewn streets had been largely cleared up and traffic lights which were damaged by fans climbing on them were being repaired.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Federal Court judge Stephen Burley described how four large open-pit mines, a railway, tailings dam, waste dumps and a stockpile were strewn across the lands of the Yindjibarndi people in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
Other clips showed emergency workers walking through spacious apartments strewn with glass and rubble.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026
When I visited Havana again this spring to report on the mounting crisis, the malecón was deserted, strewn with brown seaweed that had been flung from the ocean by crashing waves.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
A foundation of the tea olive strewn over the bottom, cool and green.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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.
