striker

IPA/ˈstraɪkə(r)/
KK[strˈaɪkɚ]IPA/ˈstraɪkər/

striker — noun

  • strikersingular
  • strikersplural

1. A person who stops working together with other workers as part of a protest, to

1.nounC1
Definition

A person who stops working together with other workers as part of a protest, to show disagreement with an employer about pay, working hours, or other conditions of the job.

Example

The strikers gathered outside the factory gate, holding signs and chanting for better wages.

the strikers + collective action verb

Noor was one of the strikers who refused to work until conditions were made safer.

Common collocations
  • union striker
  • striker on the picket line
  • striker protest
  • fellow striker
Synonyms
  • protester

    broader term — covers anyone publicly demonstrating, not only workers stopping work

  • picket

    can refer to a striker standing outside a workplace with a sign; also a verb

Antonyms
  • scab

    offensive slang for a worker who crosses a picket line and works during a strike

Grammar Patterns

the strikers + collective verb (gather / refuse / receive)

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form (the strikers) because strikes are collective actions. Individual usage (a striker) is more common when describing a single worker's role or situation.

Common Mistakes

There were fifty strikers on the strike yesterday.
There were fifty strikers on strike yesterday.
'on strike' is the fixed phrase, not 'on the strike'.

2. A player in football, soccer, or other goal-based team sports who plays in an ad

2.nounC2
Definition

A player in football, soccer, or other goal-based team sports who plays in an advanced position close to the opponent's goal and leads the team's efforts to put the ball into the net.

Example

The team's best striker scored three goals in the semi-final match against Valencia.

striker + scored + [number] goals — typical match report pattern

Valentina has been the league's top striker for three seasons with thirty goals a year.

Common collocations
  • top striker
  • striker scores a goal
  • young striker
  • striker position
Synonyms
  • forward

    more general term for attacking players; preferred in American English

  • attacker

    focuses on the offensive role rather than the specific position

Antonyms
  • goalkeeper

    the player who defends the goal, opposite role on the field

  • defender

    a player whose main job is to stop the opposing team from scoring

Grammar Patterns

striker + scored + [number] goal(s)

signed as a striker

Usage Note

Mainly used in football/soccer — not typically used for basketball or American football. In American English, forward is more common than striker for describing the same attacking position.

Common Mistakes

He is a good striker in basketball.
He is a good forward in basketball.
'striker' is used mainly for football/soccer, not basketball.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Striker, forward, and attacker all describe offensive players in football/soccer, but they differ in specificity. Striker refers to the most advanced player whose main job is scoring goals — the term is common in British football commentary and among fans. Forward is a broader category that includes both centre-forwards and wingers; it is preferred in American English and tactical analysis. Attacker is the most general term, covering any player whose primary role is creating or finishing scoring chances, including midfielders pushing forward. In practice, a team's lineup might list three forwards (left, centre, right), but only the player in the middle is called the striker. For example, a commentator might say 'the striker scored a hat-trick' focusing on the goal-scorer, while a coach's tactical board labels all advanced players as forwards.

striker ↗forward ↗attacker ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Striker comes from the verb strike, which in Old English (strican) meant 'to pass lightly over' or 'to stroke.' By the 1300s it gained the meaning 'to hit,' and the suffix -er (meaning 'a person who does something') was added to form striker — literally 'one who strikes.' The two main modern senses developed in the 1800s: the workplace-protest meaning came from the idea of workers 'striking' or stopping their tools (the 'hit' sense shifted to 'quit' in labor contexts), while the football sense grew out of the idea of a player who 'strikes' the ball toward the goal.