stuck

1.verbA2

Definition

the form of the verb 'stick' used to talk about something that happened in the past — for example, pushing something into a surface, attaching one thing to another, or remaining in a place or state.

Example

Sora stuck a poster on his bedroom wall with blue tape.

stuck + object + on/against/to [surface]

The chef stuck a thermometer into the roast chicken to check its temperature.

stuck + object + into [something]

Common collocations

stuck to [something]
stuck together
stuck into [something]
stuck on [surface]

Common Mistakes

He sticked the stamp on the envelope.

He stuck the stamp on the envelope.

'sticked' is not a word; the past form is 'stuck'.

I have sticked to my decision.

I have stuck to my decision.

The past participle is also 'stuck', never 'sticked'.

1.adjectiveA2

Definition

not able to move away from a place, surface, or position because something is blocking, holding, or trapping you — for example, a car in deep mud, a drawer that will not open, or a person in a traffic jam.

Example

The delivery van got stuck in a narrow alley and could not move.

get stuck in [place] — passive construction

Constanza tried to open the window, but it was completely stuck after years of disuse.

Common collocations

stuck in traffic
stuck in mud
stuck in a lift
stuck in the middle
stuck to the surface
stuck together
get stuck
remain stuck

Synonyms

jammed
more mechanical — of moving parts like doors, zippers, or machinery
trapped
suggests being caught in a confined space or dangerous situation
lodged
of an object that is firmly fixed in a narrow space

Antonyms

free
able to move without restriction
loose
not fixed in place

Grammar Patterns

be/get/become/feel stuck + preposition + [place or position]

Usage Note

This sense is almost always used with a linking verb (be, get, become, feel, seem, remain) and is followed by a prepositional phrase showing where or how something is trapped.

Common Mistakes

I stuck in traffic for two hours.

I was stuck in traffic for two hours.

As an adjective, 'stuck' needs a linking verb like 'be' or 'get'.

2.adjectiveB1

Definition

trapped in an unpleasant, boring, or hopeless situation that you cannot easily leave or change — for example, a job you hate, a troubled relationship, or a town with no opportunities.

Example

Evelyn felt stuck in a job that demanded long hours without promotion.

feel stuck in [situation] — expressing emotional frustration

After ten years in one role, Mert knew he was stuck and needed a change.

Common collocations

stuck in a job
stuck in a relationship
stuck in a routine
stuck in a rut
stuck in a situation
feel stuck
get stuck

Synonyms

trapped
more dramatic; suggests a pressing need to escape
marooned
more literary; suggests being isolated and abandoned
stuck in a rut
idiomatic; specifically about a boring, unchanging routine

Antonyms

free
able to leave or change your situation
unstuck
informal; freed from a difficult situation

Grammar Patterns

be/get stuck in [unpleasant situation]

feel stuck in [situation]

Usage Note

Common in the phrase 'stuck in a rut' (a boring, repetitive way of life). This sense overlaps with sense 4 (STUCK WITH) when the situation involves an unwanted obligation, but sense 2 focuses on being stuck in a place or situation, while sense 4 focuses on being stuck with a person or thing.

Common Mistakes

I am stick in a bad situation.

I am stuck in a bad situation.

'Stick' is the present tense; the adjective form for this meaning is 'stuck'.

3.adjectiveB1

Definition

unable to continue making progress on a mental task — such as a question, puzzle, piece of reading, or creative work — because it is too difficult or confusing to move forward.

Example

Dario got stuck on the last crossword clue for twenty minutes.

get stuck on [task] — typical pattern

Wei was stuck at a difficult maths problem and asked the teacher for help.

Common collocations

stuck on a question
stuck on a problem
stuck on a puzzle
stuck at [point]
get stuck
be stuck
feel stuck

Synonyms

baffled
stronger and more formal; suggests complete confusion
stumped
informal; very common in US English for being unable to answer
blocked
suggests a creative or psychological barrier to progress

Antonyms

unstuck
informal; making progress again after being blocked

Grammar Patterns

get stuck on [problem/question/task]

be stuck at [point in a task]

Usage Note

The preposition changes the focus: 'stuck on [something]' means the task itself is blocking you; 'stuck at [point]' means you have reached a specific point and cannot continue past it.

4.adjectiveB1

Definition

left having to cope with a person or situation you find disagreeable, typically because nobody else is willing to take over — for instance, doing a boring chore that others avoided, or keeping a faulty product you cannot send back.

Example

Sora got stuck washing all the dishes after the party because everyone else left.

get stuck with [unwanted task] — informal pattern

Hassan's colleague quit suddenly, leaving him stuck with a huge pile of unfinished work.

Common collocations

stuck with a task
stuck with someone
stuck with a problem
stuck with a bill
stuck with a broken item
get stuck with
be stuck with
leave someone stuck with

Synonyms

saddled with
more formal; suggests a heavy burden or responsibility
lumbered with
British informal; suggests being given something unwanted
left with
neutral; simply states the result without the emotional tone

Antonyms

relieved of
formal; having an unwanted thing removed from you

Grammar Patterns

be stuck with [someone/something unwanted]

get stuck with [task/responsibility]

Usage Note

The phrase 'stuck with' always has a negative or reluctant tone. It is common in informal spoken English. The subject is usually a person, but can be an organisation (a company, a school).

Common Mistakes

I stuck with the boring task because I chose to.

I was stuck with the boring task because no one else would do it.

'Stuck with' implies lack of choice, not a positive decision.

Idioms

be stuck in a rut

idiom

to be living or working in a boring, repetitive way that never changes and is difficult to escape from

After cooking the same meals every week, Constanza felt stuck in a rut and bought a new cookbook.

be stuck between a rock and a hard place

idiom

to be in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant options

Dario was stuck between a rock and a hard place — either stay in a boring job or move to a city he hated.

be (stuck) in a groove

idiom

To keep doing the same boring thing for a long time without being able to change.

Maya felt stuck in a groove at her data entry job.

After ten years, Brian was stuck in a groove and wanted a new challenge.

be (stuck) in a time warp

idiom

To remain exactly the same as in an earlier time, while everything else has changed.

The old library is stuck in a time warp with its 1970s furniture.

Sara's kitchen is stuck in a time warp, still using a wood stove.

(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place

idiom

In a difficult situation where you must choose between two unpleasant options.

Diego was caught between a rock and a hard place when both job offers had low pay.

Min felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, having to fire either her friend or her best employee.

get stuck in | get stuck into something

idiom

To start doing something with great energy and enthusiasm, especially eating.

The pizza arrived and everyone got stuck in immediately.

Aiden told the team to get stuck into the project right away.

like a stuck record

idiom

Repeating the same statement or opinion again and again in an annoying way.

My dad sounds like a stuck record, always saying the same joke.

The politician was like a stuck record, repeating his campaign slogan endlessly.

Word family

stick
verbA2
sticky
adjectiveB1
sticker
nounA2
stickiness
nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe being unable to move freely, but they differ in the type of obstacle and the tone. STUCK is the most general and neutral — it works for any situation where movement is prevented, whether by mud, a tight space, or a mechanical fault ('The window was stuck'). JAMMED implies mechanical parts that should move but cannot ('The printer is jammed'), and carries a sense of pressure or wedging. TRAPPED suggests confinement in an enclosed space, often with a hint of danger or urgency ('The miners were trapped underground'). LODGED is used when an object is firmly fixed in a narrow opening ('a fish bone lodged in her throat'). CAUGHT focuses on the moment of snagging or entanglement ('His sleeve was caught in the door'). In everyday conversation, 'stuck' works in most contexts; choose 'jammed' for machinery, 'trapped' for dangerous confinement, and 'lodged' for objects in narrow spaces.

stuck ↗jammedtrappedlodgedcaught ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

get stuck
feel stuck
remain stuck
become stuck
leave someone stuck

Adverbs

completely stuck
totally stuck
really stuck
hopelessly stuck
firmly stuck
temporarily stuck

Phrases

stuck in a rut
stuck in the middle
stuck between a rock and a hard place

Prepositions

stuck in
stuck on
stuck with
stuck at
stuck between
stuck to

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Stuck is the past participle of the verb 'stick'. 'Stick' comes from Old English 'stician' meaning 'to pierce, remain fixed, or stay'. The adjective use — describing someone or something that cannot move or escape — developed around the 16th century. The sense of being mentally blocked or unable to progress emerged in the 19th century.

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stuck

stuck — verb

1. the form of the verb 'stick' used to talk about something that happened in the p

Common Mistakes

stuck — adjective

1. not able to move away from a place, surface, or position because something is bl

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. trapped in an unpleasant, boring, or hopeless situation that you cannot easily l

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. unable to continue making progress on a mental task — such as a question, puzzle

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

4. left having to cope with a person or situation you find disagreeable, typically

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

be stuck in a rut

be stuck between a rock and a hard place

be (stuck) in a groove

be (stuck) in a time warp

(caught/stuck) between a rock and a hard place

get stuck in | get stuck into something

like a stuck record

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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