Smitten
adjective /ˈsmɪtən/ — Suddenly and intensely struck by love or attraction.
Definition
Suddenly, powerfully, and helplessly captivated by a person — love arriving as a physical event, like being struck. The past participle of 'smite': you have been hit.
Beyond the definition
Smitten is one of the most precise words for early love. It emphasises the suddenness and the loss of agency — this did not happen gradually; it happened to you. The word contains the impact: smite, smitten. You were struck.
Origin & history
Past participle of Old English 'smītan' (to strike, to smear). By the 17th century it had acquired its romantic meaning: struck by love as by a blow. The impact metaphor is deeply embedded.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
He was smitten from the first conversation — undone by her laugh before the afternoon ended.
She tried not to be smitten, and failed within the week.
Smitten is the word for love before you know you're in love.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Smitten” when the meaning fits your context: Suddenly, powerfully, and helplessly captivated by a person — love arriving as a physical event, like being struck. The past participle of 'smite': you have been hit.
Synonyms
infatuated, besotted, lovestruck, enchanted
Antonyms
indifferent, immune
Related words
Smitten vs infatuated
Smitten is a sudden, often delightful realization of attraction. Infatuated implies a more obsessive, blinding, and often irrational stage of attraction.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
He found himself thinking about her conversation rather than the things she'd said. The rhythm of it. The way she'd laughed at herself.
He replayed it twice on the train home and couldn't have said why.
The ones that install themselves in your attention without permission are the ones that stay. That's the whole thing, really.
Questions about this word
What does "Smitten" mean?
Smitten is adjective meaning: Suddenly and intensely struck by love or attraction.. Suddenly, powerfully, and helplessly captivated by a person — love arriving as a physical event, like being struck. The past participle of 'smite': you have been hit.
Which words express “being consumed by someone”?
Smitten — Suddenly and intensely struck by love or attraction.
Where does the word "Smitten" come from?
Past participle of Old English 'smītan' (to strike, to smear). By the 17th century it had acquired its romantic meaning: struck by love as by a blow. The impact metaphor is deeply embedded.