ENGLISH
REFERENCE

strike

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈstɹaɪk// UK //stɹˈaɪk// strike Archaic General-service Slang

n. a time when workers refuse to work because they want better pay or safer conditions. It's a form of protest to make an employer meet their demands.

n. a collective refusal by employees to work, used as a form of protest to pressure an employer into meeting specific demands, typically concerning wages or working conditions.


SIMPLE

The workers are on strike for better pay.

CONTEXTUAL

The pilots' union threatened a strike if the airline refused to negotiate new contracts.

COMPLEX

A prolonged general strike has the power to paralyze a nation's economy, forcing a political confrontation far beyond the initial labor dispute.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English stryken, from Old English strīcan, from Proto-West Germanic strīkan, from Proto-Germanic strīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“to stroke, rub, press”). Cognate with Dutch strijken, German streichen, Danish stryge, Icelandic strýkja, strýkva.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'on' in the phrases 'to be on strike' or 'to go on strike'.

Pitfall

The workers are in strike.The workers are on strike.The correct preposition to indicate participation in this type of protest is 'on', forming the fixed phrase 'on strike'.

Idioms15 entries

© 2026 English Reference