smitten
smitten Lexical Profile
smitten Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Deeply affected with or struck by strong feelings of attraction, affection, or infatuation.
"From the moment they met at the gallery, he was completely smitten with her."
Grievously afflicted, struck, or overwhelmed by an illness, disaster, or painful emotion.
"Smitten with remorse over his hasty decision, he wrote a long letter of apology."
• verb
To strike with a firm blow, or to afflict severely (past participle of smite).
"According to the ancient chronicle, the city had been smitten by a devastating plague."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective meaning deeply infatuated, 'smitten' is used almost exclusively in the predicate position (after a linking verb such as 'be' or 'seem') and is typically followed by the prepositions 'with' or 'by'.
• Rhymes for smitten
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'smiten', the past participle of 'smitan' meaning 'to strike, beat, or blemish'. The sense of being 'struck' by sudden romantic infatuation developed in the mid-17th century.