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.
Huge crowds have flocked to a canal in South Korea to watch a stranded shark.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Two Utah residents who hiked Mount Shasta in Northern California were rescued after they became stranded during a perilous 36-hour journey through freezing conditions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
Chaos ensued: passengers told the BBC they were stranded on platforms for hours, with some having to book hotels for the night.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
In Iran, a war that has relied largely on older and expensive systems, the U.S. also used an unmanned boat made by defense startup Saronic to rescue a stranded helicopter crew.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Scruffy? You and Tater go check out the shelter. Make sure there aren’t any dogs stranded inside!”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
