Strikingly

How to spell strikingly

10 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce strikingly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does strikingly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is noticeable enough to make a strong impression.

Strikingly in a sentence

• The new offices were strikingly similar to the ones we left behind.

• Her report was strikingly different from every other version on file.

Where does strikingly come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This adverb is built on the verb strike, which descends from the Old English strican, a word that originally meant 'to stroke, rub, or move lightly' rather than 'to hit'. Over the centuries the sense hardened into the modern idea of dealing a blow, and from there came the figurative notion of something that 'strikes' the eye or mind with sudden force. The present participle striking came to mean 'so noticeable as to make an impression', and adding the adverb suffix -ly produced strikingly, meaning 'in a way that draws strong attention'. The spelling trap lives in the join: the silent final e of strike is dropped before -ing, giving strik-ing, and then -ly is simply tacked on without doubling or further change. The same strican root also gives us the everyday word stroke, a reminder of that gentler original meaning.

How the word is built

• strik- (from strike, Old English strican: to stroke, move, deal a blow)
• -ing (forming an adjective)
• -ly (adverb suffix)