Abstract: The nonstationary probability densities of system response of a single-degreeof-freedom system with lightly nonlinear damping and strongly nonlinear stiffness subject to modulated white noise excitation are studied. Using the stochastic averaging method based on the generalized harmonic functions, the averaged Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation governing the nonstationary probability density of the amplitude is derived. The solution of the equation is approximated by the series expansion in terms of a set of properly selected basis functions with time-dependent coefficients. According to the Galerkin method, the time-dependent coefficients can be solved from a set of first-order linear differential equations. Then, the semi-analytical formulae of the nonstationary probability density of the amplitude response as well as the nonstationary probability density of the state response and the statistic moments of the amplitude response can be obtained. A van der Pol-Duffing oscillator subject to modulated white noise is given as an example to illustrate the proposed procedures. The effects of the system parameters, such as the linear damping coefficient and the nonlinear stiffness coefficient, on the system response are discussed.