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stuck
/stʌk/
unable to move or progress
The car got stuck in the mud after the heavy rain.
The car was unable to move because it was trapped in mud.
informal
to be unable to move or be freed from a position or situation
I'm stuck in traffic and will be late for the meeting.
I'm unable to move in traffic and will arrive late.
She got stuck in an elevator for an hour.
She was trapped in an elevator for an hour.
Often used to describe being trapped physically or metaphorically in a difficult situation.
informal
to be unable to progress or make decisions
I'm stuck on this math problem and can't figure it out.
I'm unable to solve this math problem.
He's stuck between two job offers and doesn't know what to do.
He's unable to decide between two job offers.
Used to describe being unable to move forward in a situation.
Collocations
stuck in traffictrapped in trafficstuck between a rock and a hard placein a difficult situation with no good optionsstuck on an ideaunable to move past a particular thought or concept
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
'Stuck' is often used with 'in' or 'on' to describe being trapped or unable to move forward.
Gold Rule
Physical vs. Metaphorical
'Stuck' can describe both physical and metaphorical situations, such as being trapped in traffic or being unable to make a decision.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'stukken', meaning 'to pierce' or 'to stick', from Old English 'stician'. The modern sense of 'to be unable to move' developed later.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in both physical and metaphorical contexts. Often followed by 'in' or 'on' to describe the situation.
Word Breakdown
stuck
past participle of 'stick'
rootEnglish Dictionary