striped

striped — adjective

1. having a pattern of long, narrow bands or lines in a colour that is different fr

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

having a pattern of long, narrow bands or lines in a colour that is different from the background, usually parallel and of similar width

Example

Erik wore a striped shirt with thin blue and white bands running across the front to the party.

collocation: striped shirt / striped tie / striped fabric

The bathroom walls were painted with wide striped patterns.

predicative: be + striped + noun

Common collocations
  • striped shirt
  • striped tie
  • striped fabric
  • striped wallpaper
  • striped cat
  • striped pattern
  • striped curtains
  • striped scarf
  • striped socks
Synonyms
  • streaked

    less regular than striped; often describes uneven or smudged lines

  • lined

    simpler and more general; can refer to any kind of line, not just decorative bands

  • barred

    used for thick, blocky stripes, especially in animal markings like tigers or prison uniforms

Antonyms
  • plain

    having no pattern or decoration at all

  • solid

    a single, uniform colour throughout without lines or bands

Grammar Patterns

striped + noun

be + striped

Usage Note

Often used for clothing, fabrics, wallpaper, and animal markings. The stripes are typically parallel but can vary in thickness and spacing.

Common Mistakes

The cat's fur is stripes.
The cat's fur is striped.
'stripes' is a plural noun meaning the lines themselves; 'striped' is the adjective describing the pattern.

Word family

  • stripe
    nounA2
  • stripy
    adjectiveB1
  • striping
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe linear marks on a surface, but they differ in regularity and use. Striped is the most common and neutral — it means clear, parallel bands of colour, as on a shirt or a zebra. Streaked suggests irregular, uneven marks, like hair dyed with random highlights or a window after rain. Lined is more general and plainer; paper can be lined without being decorative, and a face can be lined with wrinkles. Barred is the most specific, used for thick, blocky stripes typically associated with tigers, prison uniforms, or heraldic designs. In everyday conversation, striped is your best choice for clothing and decor; use barred only for animal markings or strong visual patterns. For example: 'She wore a striped dress to the garden party' sounds neutral and natural, while 'She wore a barred dress' would sound unusual or might be read as referring to a uniform.

striped ↗streakedlined ↗barred

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • beautifully striped
  • brightly striped
  • boldly striped
  • vertically striped
  • horizontally striped
  • diagonally striped

Phrases

  • blue and white striped
  • red and black striped
  • dark striped
  • thinly striped
  • wide striped

Prepositions

  • striped with

Etymology

Middle DutchEnglish

Striped comes from the noun stripe, which English borrowed around the 1400s, probably from Middle Dutch stripen meaning 'to make streaks or lines'. The suffix -ed turns the noun into an adjective meaning 'having stripes'. The word has been used to describe clothing, flags, and animal markings ever since.