Nearby Words

smitten

[smit-n] Origin

smit·ten

[smit-n]
adjective
1.
struck, as with a hard blow.
2.
grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted.
3.
very much in love.
verb
4.
a past participle of smite.

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Smitten is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
chat, to converse
to spend time idly; loaf.

Origin:
1200–50; Middle English; see smite, -en3

un·smit·ten, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged

smite

[smahyt] verb, smote or (Obsolete) smit; smit·ten or smit; smit·ing.
verb (used with object)
1.
to strike or hit hard, with or as with the hand, a stick, or other weapon: She smote him on the back with her umbrella.
2.
to deliver or deal (a blow, hit, etc.) by striking hard.
3.
to strike down, injure, or slay: His sword had smitten thousands.
4.
to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect: smitten by polio.
5.
to affect mentally or morally with a sudden pang: His conscience smote him.
EXPAND
6.
to affect suddenly and strongly with a specified feeling: They were smitten with terror.
7.
to impress favorably; charm; enamor: He was smitten by her charms.
COLLAPSE
verb (used without object)
8.
to strike; deal a blow.
9.
smite hip and thigh. hip1 (def. 9).

Origin:
before 900; Middle English smiten, Old English smītan; cognate with German schmeissen to throw, Dutch smijten

smit·er, noun


1. knock, cuff, buffet, slap.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To smitten
Collins
World English Dictionary
smitten (ˈsmɪtən)
 
vb
1.  a past participle of smite
 
adj
2.  (postpositive) affected by love (for)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

smite
O.E. smitan "to hit, strike, beat" (strong verb, pt. smat, pp. smiten), from P.Gmc. *smitanan (cf. Swed. smita, Dan. smide "to smear, fling," O.Fris. smita, M.L.G., M.Du. smiten "to cast, fling," Du. smijten "to throw," O.H.G. smizan "to rub, strike," Ger. schmeißen "to cast, fling," Goth. bismeitan
EXPAND
"to spread, smear"), perhaps from PIE base *(s)mei- "to smear, to rub," but original sense in Gmc. seems to be of throwing. Sense of "slay in combat" (c.1300) is originally Biblical, smite to death, first attested c.1200.

smitten
mid-13c., pp. of smite. Sense of "inspired with love" is from 1660s.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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