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Strike it rich

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Strike it rich means to become wealthy suddenly, often through luck; in materialistic or ironic poetry, it critiques greed, chance, or the fleeting nature of prosperity and its impact on identity.

Detailed Definition
Strike it rich means to gain sudden wealth, success, or abundance, often through luck, discovery, or risk. In poetry, it can be used literally in poems about mining, gambling, business, or inheritance, and metaphorically for love, knowledge, memory, or artistic breakthrough. The phrase carries excitement but also moral ambiguity: sudden fortune may liberate, corrupt, isolate, or disappoint. A poet may use it to question what “rich” truly means, contrasting money with emotional, spiritual, or imaginative wealth.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic ballad might show the pedlar striking it rich after selling umbrellas in a week of rain; In a satire, the speculator strikes it rich while labourers remain poor; The phrase means to become suddenly wealthy or successful; A poet can use it for luck and inequality.
Additional Notes
Strike it rich means become wealthy or successful suddenly, often through luck, discovery, or risk. In poetry, it can evoke gold rushes, gambling, speculation, inheritance, or artistic breakthrough. The idiom carries excitement but also instability: sudden wealth can distort values and relationships. Students should compare it with strike gold. It pairs well with mines, cards, oil, lotteries, and the dream that one moment might overturn a life.
Also Known As
Hit the jackpot
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