1 B2 neutral
To hit someone hard enough to knock them to the ground or kill them.
"The warrior was struck down in the final battle."
separable
strike down
B2 neutral separable transitive
To cause someone to fall or die with a blow, or (of illness or law) to disable or invalidate something.
In plain English
To knock someone down, kill them, or (for a court or illness) to destroy something or make someone very ill.
What does "strike down" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
(Of illness or misfortune) To cause someone to become seriously ill or disabled.
"He was struck down by a rare virus just days before his retirement."
separable
3 C1 idiomatic formal
(Legal) For a court to officially declare a law or decision invalid or unconstitutional.
"The Supreme Court struck down the new electoral law on constitutional grounds."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To strike (hit) someone downward so they fall — the metaphor extends to abstract 'destruction.'
Actually means
To knock someone down, kill them, or (for a court or illness) to destroy something or make someone very ill.
Usage tip
Has three distinct senses: physical violence, fatal illness, and legal context. The legal sense (a court striking down a law) is common in formal journalism. The illness sense is slightly literary.
Words that pair with "strike down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
law ruling legislation illness lightning opponent
How to conjugate "strike down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
strike down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
strikes down
he/she/it
Past simple
striked down
yesterday
Past participle
striked down
have + pp
-ing form
striking down
continuous
Hear "strike down" in the wild
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Other ways to say "strike down"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
annul fell invalidate kill overturn repeal
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