English UsageGrammar guide
Past Tense of Stick
The past tense of “stick” is “stuck,” and the past participle is also “stuck.” The verb is irregular, so standard usage does not form the past as “sticked.”
Use “stuck” as both the past tense and past participle of “stick.”
Key details
Confusion Familyirregular verb form
Rule Familypast tense and past participle
Termsstick, stuck
Variant ScopeStick has the irregular past tense stuck and past participle stuck.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use “stuck” for both the simple past and the past participle of “stick.”
Fast Test
Present: “stick”; simple past: “stuck”; perfect/passive participle contexts: “stuck.”
Usage Boundary
“Stuck” is also used adjectivally in many contexts; that does not change the verb-form pattern.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- stick — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence that stick has past tense and past participle stuck.