Is there any difference between to strew and to scatter?

Solution 1:

While in many cases you can use either word, there are some quirks in usage. According to a Corpus of Contemporary American English search:

• Scatter is more common than strew. (7796 hits versus 126 hits.)
• One is more likely to strew flowers or to strew something along a path or a way
• One is more likely to scatter ashes, light, or the pronoun them.

The Oxford English Dictionary confirms the associations between strew and plant material as well as surfaces:

a. transitive. To scatter, spread loosely; to scatter (rushes, straw, flowers, etc.) on the ground or floor, or over the surface of something; to sprinkle (something granulated or in powder) over a surface.

Note the use of scatter to define the term. The relevant meaning of scatter is very similar:

a. To throw or send forth so that the particles are distributed or spread about; to sow or throw (seed, money, etc.) broadcast; to sprinkle, strew; to diffuse (fragrance).

The difference in this subset of meanings is slight and isn't even about the method of delivery. It's more about the materials involved and the associations with them. Grammatically I wouldn't blink at scattering flowers or strewing ashes, but on a good day I might notice that the verb doesn't fit expected usage.

A final note: scatter can be used as an intransitive verb, referring to an action that the subject does to itself. Merriam-Webster on scatter, intransitive:

: to separate and go in various directions : disperse

When the weights hit the ground, the marbles scattered.

Strew has no such intransitive use. "The marbles strew" does not make sense.