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Definition of strew

strew

/struː/
strew
Adjective:strewn
•
Past Simple:strewed
•
Past Participle:strewn
•
Present Participle:strewing
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strew Lexical Profile

strew Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To scatter or spread things untidily or loosely over a surface or area.

Example

"Autumn winds began to strew golden leaves across the quiet courtyard."

2

To cover a surface or area with scattered objects (usually used in the passive with 'with' or 'over').

Example

"The forest floor was strewn with pine needles and fallen acorns."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for strew
Antonyms
View all antonyms for strew

Word Nuance & Usage

While the past tense is standardly 'strewed', the past participle can be either 'strewn' or 'strewed', with 'strewn' being strongly preferred in passive constructions and as a participial adjective.

• Rhymes for strew

• Nearby Words

stretchiness
stretchy
streusel
strew
striated
stricken
strickland

Word Origin & Etymology

Derived from Old English streowian, from Proto-Germanic *strawjanan, ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *stere- meaning 'to spread' (which also gave rise to the word 'straw').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Strew. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/strew
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