STRIKING Synonyms: 468 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'striking' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of striking are conspicuous , noticeable , outstanding , prominent , remarkable , and salient . While all these words mean "attracting notice or attention," striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision. // the region's striking poverty

Q: When is 'conspicuous' a more appropriate choice than 'striking'?

The meanings of conspicuous and striking largely overlap; however, conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind. // conspicuous bureaucratic waste

Q: When would 'noticeable' be a good substitute for 'striking'?

The synonyms noticeable and striking are sometimes interchangeable, but noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation. // a piano recital with no noticeable errors

Q: When could 'outstanding' be used to replace 'striking'?

While the synonyms outstanding and striking are close in meaning, outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind. // honored for her outstanding contributions to science

Q: When might 'prominent' be a better fit than 'striking'?

The words prominent and striking can be used in similar contexts, but prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background. // a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town

Q: When is it sensible to use 'remarkable' instead of 'striking'?

In some situations, the words remarkable and striking are roughly equivalent. However, remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment. // a film of remarkable intelligence and wit

Q: Where would 'salient' be a reasonable alternative to 'striking'?

The words salient and striking are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it. // the salient points of the speech

striking 1 of 2

adjective

ˈstrī-kiŋ

Definition of striking

as in noticeable

likely to attract attention you'd be amazed what a striking difference new wallpaper can make in a room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in glaring

very noticeable especially for being incorrect or bad several striking contradictions in her argument

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

striking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of strike

as in walking

to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands the union is calling for its members to strike until the mining company agrees to meet safety standards

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in affecting

to act upon (a person or a person's feelings) so as to cause a response we were struck by the willingness of total strangers to go out of their way to help us

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in occurring (to)

to enter the mind of it struck her later that no one at the bank had asked for identification

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in bumping

to come into usually forceful contact with something the thump of hailstones striking the cars in the parking lot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in hitting

to deliver a blow to (someone or something) usually in a strong vigorous manner the driver of the car behind me applied his brakes too late and struck my car from the rear

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in dismantling

to take apart the stagehands struck the sets the morning after the play closed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in attacking

to take sudden, violent action against a rattlesnake strikes its prey with lightning speed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in possessing

to cast a spell on the only way that she's going to get a man is if she strikes one

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blessing

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective striking differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of striking are conspicuous, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, and salient. While all these words mean "attracting notice or attention," striking applies to something that impresses itself powerfully and deeply upon the observer's mind or vision.

the region's striking poverty

When is conspicuous a more appropriate choice than striking?

The meanings of conspicuous and striking largely overlap; however, conspicuous applies to something that is obvious and unavoidable to the sight or mind.

conspicuous bureaucratic waste

When would noticeable be a good substitute for striking?

The synonyms noticeable and striking are sometimes interchangeable, but noticeable applies to something unlikely to escape observation.

a piano recital with no noticeable errors

When could outstanding be used to replace striking?

While the synonyms outstanding and striking are close in meaning, outstanding applies to something that rises above and excels others of the same kind.

honored for her outstanding contributions to science

When might prominent be a better fit than striking?

The words prominent and striking can be used in similar contexts, but prominent applies to something commanding notice by standing out from its surroundings or background.

a doctor who occupies a prominent position in the town

When is it sensible to use remarkable instead of striking?

In some situations, the words remarkable and striking are roughly equivalent. However, remarkable applies to something so extraordinary or exceptional as to invite comment.

a film of remarkable intelligence and wit

Where would salient be a reasonable alternative to striking?

The words salient and striking are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, salient applies to something of significance that merits the attention given it.

the salient points of the speech

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of striking

Adjective

The insertion of the FBI in the plot is among the most striking claims. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026 After a month, the ketogenic group showed clear metabolic improvements; the more striking psychiatric and cognitive gains turned up at four months—by which point the diet had been offered to everyone, eliminating the control-group comparison. — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Verb

Anna Markowitz, an associate professor of education at UCLA who was not involved in the research, said the findings are striking in a field where some studies have found academic benefits of preschool fade over time. — Emily Woodruff, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 As Rubin said, the space would be striking even if it weren't shrouded in mystery after being closed for so many years. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for striking

Recent Examples of Synonyms for striking

Adjective

Our final list is made up of the best six neck creams for older women that firmed skin and made things like tech neck, sagging, and crepey texture look a lot less noticeable and smoother.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Aldi’s Benton’s Original Chocolate Sandwich Creme Cookies have become a frequent Oreo comparison, and a Simply Recipes blind taste test found noticeable differences between the two, with the reviewer ultimately preferring Oreos.

— Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of noticeable

Adjective

But as a new class of pop stars has established themselves as formidable commercial forces across metrics, there’s a glaring absence of Black women.

— Kyle Denis, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Clark was responding to the comments Mitchell made Saturday during her exit interview and the challenges that of living life in such a glaring spotlight.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of glaring

Verb

Bird-watching, walking, and cycling are other ways to experience the area's natural surroundings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Longtime residents Andy Booth and Yvonne Booth recalled walking the nearby creek themselves hoping to find the boy, who lived a block away.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of walking

Verb

Sanders, who spoke alongside el Sayed in Grand Rapids, said Trump’s attacks on the Democratic candidate were rooted in Islamophobia because Republicans have little to say about the issues affecting working families.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2026
Executives with the authority to make decisions affecting cybersecurity must carry appropriate accountability for those decisions.

— JC Gaillard, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of affecting

Verb

If Taipei refrains from crossing the ultimate red line of declaring formal independence, Beijing appears confident in its long-term strategy of integration.

— Ningrong Liu, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
On Monday, the 33-year-old endurance swimmer emerged from the water after crossing the latitude of the California-Mexico border and became the first person to swim the length of California.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of crossing

Verb

The Goyard Saint Louis entered the top 10 ranking at number seven, bumping the Celine Ava off the list entirely, according to the report.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
There can be two women who are strong and dynamic, who are, at points, up against each other or bumping heads, but have the same mission and goal.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of bumping

Verb

Antetokounmpo was everywhere, throwing a down a poster dunk over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, hitting pull-up threes and assisting on a bunch of the Heat’s three-pointers.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 27 Oct. 2026
Each draw is tied to Anthropic hitting certain compute capacity milestones.

— Ashley Capoot,Jordan Novet,Annie Palmer,Lora Kolodny,Kai Nicol-Schwarz,Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of hitting

Verb

Before the Ernst-May-Gesellschaft volunteers begin dismantling a kitchen, a photographer documents the interior with a fisheye lens while the team measures and sketches the room.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
Instead, the coalition has identified its primary objective as dismantling the system of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) and liberating the country from its oppression.

— Benjamin Weinthal, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of dismantling

Cite this Entry

Style

“Striking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/striking. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of striking

adjective

verb

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