What does astride mean?
Word: Astride
Part of Speech: Preposition
Meaning: Astride means with one leg on each side of something, as when you sit on a horse, a bicycle or a wall.
Synonyms: straddling
How do you spell astride?
Syllables: a - stride
Tricky part: There is only one s after the a. Students who hear a stretched s sound sometimes double it.
Watch out for: asstride, asstried
Memory tip: Sit astride a cycle and you have one leg on each side; give the word just one s after the a as well.
Astride in a sentence
Example 1: The jockey sat astride the brown horse, waiting for the gate to open.
Example 2: My brother stood astride the narrow stream with one foot on each bank.
Example 3: The statue shows Rani Lakshmibai astride her horse, sword raised.
Fun Fact
In many old paintings, women rode side-saddle with both legs on one side of the horse instead of sitting astride.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
astr______
a) aid
b) yde
c) ied
d) ide
Show answer
d) ide. It ends like ride and stride, with -ide.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. astride 2. beneath 3. alongside a. under or below something b. with one leg on each side of something c. next to and along the side of something
a) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. Astride means legs on both sides, beneath means under, and alongside means next to.
Spell Spies
Choose the misspelt word/s in the given sentence:
Sitting astride his grandfather's scooter, Aarav pretended to race through the busy markit.
a) only markit
b) markit and scooter
c) only astride
d) busy and race
Show answer
a) only markit. Market ends in -et; astride is right.
Spell Probe
One word in the sentence is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word.
Our PE teacher showed us how to stand astride a narrow bench and keep our balence for a whole minute.
a) not wide, with little space
b) with one leg on each side of something
c) a steady position in which you do not fall
d) a long seat for several people
Show answer
c) a steady position in which you do not fall. Balance ends in -ance.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why is it easy to keep your balance when you sit astride a horse?
a) you lie flat along its back
b) your weight is spread on both sides
c) you sit facing the horse's tail
d) your legs hang down on one side
Show answer
b) your weight is spread on both sides
2. On which of these would a rider sit astride?
a) a sofa
b) a motorbike
c) a car seat
d) a rocking chair
Show answer
b) a motorbike
