Smiten

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Archaic past participle meaning struck down with a heavy blow ; afflicted or punished by a divine or higher power ; overcome with intense love or infatuation for someone
2. Hit hard with a forceful blow in an old-fashioned sense ; laid low or punished by a god or supreme power ; deeply charmed or captivated by another person
3. Past participle of an old verb meaning to strike violently ; brought low by a heavenly or sovereign force as punishment ; struck with a sudden, powerful passion for another person

Etymology: "Smiten" is the past participle of "smite," and its history is a case of a verb that lost ground to its own past form. "Smite" comes from Old English "smītan," meaning "to smear, daub, or stain," and only later came to mean "to strike." The sense of violent blowing or hitting seems to have developed through an early association with striking that left marks, though the exact path is not fully documented. In Old English, "smītan" had a strong verb conjugation, and its past participle was "smiten." Over time "smite" sounded more natural as the simple past, so English speakers began using "smote" for the past tense. "Smiten" survived as the participle, and it is now mainly found in archaic, poetic, or biblical language, where it often means "struck down hard" or "afflicted by a blow."

Synonyms: strike, hit, beat