Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to get stuck

to get stuck

240 2.2
To be unable to move or continue because something blocks you
  • phrasal verb
: atascarse
  • Sometimes, and I realize when I get stuck, it's because I'm afraid.

Where do you go when you get stuck within my own head?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • She got stuck trying to open the door because it was jammed.

  • But Amrish missed his connection in Honolulu and got stuck at the airport all night.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • What do you do when you get stuck writing?

  • How can I move forward and not get stuck in the what if?

    Apollonia Ponti

  • Because one of the reasons why you get stuck is because of the doubt.

  • The worst is getting stuck behind little kids.

  • I got stuck at the hospital.

    Marvin's Room (1996)

  • I got stuck at the office.

    The Cobweb (1955)

  • More than once, he got stuck and had to struggle to find his way out.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Let's pray you don't get stuck in traffic tomorrow.

    A Guy Thing (2003)

Synonyms

to freeze
vsto get stuck
276 1.6

Stop moving suddenly because of fear or surprise

is usually slower or caused by a physical blockage rather than sudden fear
to jam
vsto get stuck
112 4.4

Get stuck and stop moving or working

is used for cases unable to move or continue because of a blockage
to bogged down
vsto get stuck
  • Informal
38 5.8

To become stuck and unable to make progress because of problems

is more general and not limited to slowing from details or complications
to clog up
vsto get stuck
22 3.7

To block a drain or road so things cannot move through it

is broader, applying to any blockage not only to flow situations
to grind to a halt
vsto get stuck
13 5.8

Slow down until it stops moving or working

describes abrupt inability to move caused by being blocked rather than slow stopping
to mire
vsto get stuck
4 7.6

To become stuck in mud or a difficult situation

is not only literal trapping but any cause that blocks movement or progress
to bog down
vsto get stuck
4 5.8

To get stuck and stop making progress

is broader, covering any inability to move or continue not only complex problems

Antonyms

to get moving
  • Informal
178 1.6

Start being active or hurry to do something

to break free from
12 4.1

To escape limits or control and become independent

How Stuck

to get stuck
240 2.2
to bog down
4 5.8

Surface Forms

get stuck infinitive
getting stuck present participle
gets stuck third person singular
got stuck past
got stuck past participle

Morphology

get + stuck

The meaning 'to become unable to move or continue' is directly derivable from 'get' (to become/come into a state) combined with 'stuck' (unable to move). This verb + adjective construction is a common, compositional pattern in English (and parallels exist in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words should be able to understand the MWE.

Etymology

Get stuck comes from the clear picture of something catching and not moving, like a car in mud or a door that won't open. That's why get stuck now means 'to become unable to move or continue'.