Poleaxed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Rendered unconscious or incapacitated by a forceful strike, as if hit with a poleaxe
2. Knocked out or stunned by a powerful blow that leaves one unable to respond
3. Struck with such a heavy impact that it causes sudden collapse or numbness

Etymology: "Poleaxed" is the past tense and past participle of "poleaxe", and the verb's history is a plain compound. It comes from an earlier form, "pollax", built from "poll", meaning "head", and "axe". A poleaxe was a weapon with a long shaft and a blade that combined an axe head with a spike or hammer, used to strike at a man's skull. The spelling drifted away from its origins over time. The "pole" in the modern form reflects the weapon's long shaft, a meaning the original word never contained, so the spelling was influenced by a word that had nothing to do with the head. The verb sense of striking someone down hard follows naturally from the blow the weapon was designed to deliver.

Synonyms: stunned, dazed, knocked down, overwhelmed, shocked

Antonyms: alert, aware, focused, prepared, ready