What does "streak" mean?
An irregular line left from smearing or motion.
Streak
/stɹiːk/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An irregular line left from smearing or motion.
- Grammar: streak is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: run, stripe, actinic ray, actinism.
- Useful contrasts: amble, break, clean.
- Usage evidence: Having hit a streak of bad luck, my fortune had gone to pot in no time.
How to use "streak"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "streak" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "streak" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "streak" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "streak" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "streak" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "run" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "streak", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An irregular line left from smearing or motion.
"'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed."
- 2 a narrow marking of a different color or texture from the background wordnet
- 3 A continuous series of like events.
"I hope I can keep up this streak of accomplishments."
- 4 a distinctive characteristic wordnet
- 5 A continuous series of like events.; A measure of activity that tracks how many consecutive days a certain interaction with another user or a service has taken place, a form of gamification to drive user engagement. Internet
"Out went conversation in favour of fast and more immediate pleasures. We migrated on to texts, voice notes, emojis and the Snapchat “streak”."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a sudden flash (as of lightning) wordnet
- 7 A consistent facet of somebody's personality.
"a mean streak"
- 8 an unbroken series of events wordnet
- 9 The color of the powder of a mineral. So called, because a simple field test for a mineral is to streak it against unglazed white porcelain.
- 10 A moth of the family Geometridae, Chesias legatella.
"Streak (moth) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia"
- 11 A tendency or characteristic, but not a dominant or pervasive one.
"She's a quiet, bookish person, but she has a rebellious streak."
- 12 A strake.
- 13 A rung or round of a ladder.
- 14 The act of streaking, or running naked through a public area.
Verb
- 1 To have or obtain streaks. intransitive
"If you clean a window in direct sunlight, it will streak."
- 2 mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained wordnet
- 3 To run quickly. intransitive
""As it was I came a hell of a crack against a Dam' rustic arbour in the garden. Dam' near stunned me. But I never stopped a second. Up and over the back fence and streaked for the common.""
- 4 run naked in a public place wordnet
- 5 To run naked in public. intransitive
"It was a pleasant game until some guy went streaking across the field."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 move quickly in a straight line wordnet
- 7 To move very swiftly. intransitive
"But when we streaked through Doncaster at all but a mile-a-minute, with a miraculously clear road, in no more than 37 min. 18 sec. from the York start, I began to sit up and take notice."
- 8 To create streaks upon. transitive
"You will streak a window by cleaning it in direct sunlight."
- 9 To stretch; to extend; hence, to lay out, as a dead body. Scotland, UK, obsolete
Example
"Having hit a streak of bad luck, my fortune had gone to pot in no time."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "streak"?
Common synonyms include: run, stripe, actinic ray, actinism, advance, animus.
How do you use "streak" in a sentence?
Having hit a streak of bad luck, my fortune had gone to pot in no time.
How do you pronounce "streak"?
Pronounced /stɹiːk/.
Etymology
From Middle English streke, from Old English strica, from Proto-Germanic *strikiz, from Proto-Indo-European *streyg- (“line”). Related to North Frisian strijck, Old Saxon striki, Middle Low German streke, Low German streek, Danish streg, Swedish streck, Norwegian Bokmål strek, Icelandic stryk, strykr, Dutch streek, Afrikaans streek, Old High German strih, German Strich, Gothic 𐍃𐍄𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (striks).