Stranded: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when someone or something is left in a difficult or helpless situation without a way to get out. Can be applied in various situations, not just maritime ones.

• After the car broke down, we were stranded on the highway for hours
• The hikers were stranded in the snowstorm with no help in sight

Used when someone is abandoned in an isolated place, often intentionally. It can have a slightly negative or dramatic connotation.

• The pirate was marooned on a deserted island as punishment for his betrayal
• Jill felt marooned in the unfamiliar city when she lost her phone

Specifically refers to being in a ship that has been destroyed or sunk, leading to being stranded in the ocean or on an island. It is limited to maritime disasters.

• The survivors of the shipwrecked vessel had to find ways to signal for rescue
• He wrote a book about being shipwrecked and his fight for survival

Primarily used to describe someone who has survived a shipwreck and is left alone on an uninhabited island. It has a more specific maritime context.

• The movie showed the struggles of a castaway trying to survive on a deserted island
• The sailors became castaways after their ship was wrecked

Use when someone is stuck in a place without a way to leave. It often carries a sense of being abandoned or helpless.

• After the storm, many travelers were stranded at the airport
• Their boat was stranded on the deserted island

A straightforward way to say someone doesn't have a job. It doesn’t necessarily carry a negative emotion.

• He's been jobless for six months now
• The jobless rate has gone up this year

A formal term usually seen in official contexts or statistics. It can sometimes carry a more serious or negative connotation.

• The government's new policy aims to help the unemployed
• He’s been unemployed for over a year

Commonly used in everyday speech to refer to someone who is temporarily not working. It might imply an ongoing search for a job.

• She’s been out of work since the company downsized
• After being out of work for a while, he finally found a new job