Struck is the past tense of strike, which means to hit something with force. When lightning struck the old oak tree, it split the trunk in two. When the clock struck midnight, its hammer hit the bell twelve times. A baseball player who swung and missed has struck out.

The word carries a sense of sudden impact or contact. A ship might be struck by a wave during a storm. An idea might strike you out of nowhere, hitting your mind like a surprise. Workers who refuse to work as a form of protest are said to be on strike, and when they begin their protest, they have struck.

Sometimes the word suggests being affected powerfully by something. You might be struck by how tall the redwood trees are when you first see them, or struck by the beauty of a sunset. In this sense, the experience hits you emotionally rather than physically.

The word can also mean to remove something, like when a judge orders testimony struck from the record, essentially removing it from official consideration. Prospectors who find gold have struck gold, discovering something valuable. When you strike a match, you hit it against a rough surface to create fire.