Strewn

Strewn is the past participle of the verb strew, meaning to scatter or spread objects over a surface, often in a haphazard or untidy way. As an adjective, it describes such a scattered distribution, as in phrases like “strewn with debris” or “strewn across the lawn.” The term is used in a wide range of contexts, from descriptions of mess and aftermath to literary and descriptive writing.

Etymology and forms: The verb strew comes from Old English and has cognates in other Germanic languages. In modern English, the past tense can be strewed, while the past participle is commonly strewn. The past participle strewn is used with forms of be or have, as in “the field was strewn with flowers” or “papers were strewn across the desk.”

Usage notes: Strewn emphasizes irregular or accidental distribution rather than neat arrangement. It is frequently followed by with or by, and used with prepositional phrases such as across, throughout, or over. While strewn is common in formal and literary writing, strewed appears as the simple past tense in many everyday contexts.

Synonyms and nuance: Related terms include scattered, dispersed, littered, and sprinkled. Each carries slight nuance: strewn often implies a random spread over a surface, sometimes evoking disorder or aftermath; scattered is more general; littered carries a stronger sense of undesirable mess; sprinkled suggests lighter, more deliberate distribution.

See also: strew; strewn with; scatter; litter.