smite

[ smahyt ]
See synonyms for: smitesmittensmote on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),smote or (Obsolete) smit; smit·ten or smit; smit·ing.
  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.

  1. to strike down, injure, or slay: His sword had smitten thousands.

  2. to afflict or attack with deadly or disastrous effect: smitten by polio.

  3. to affect mentally or morally with a sudden pang: His conscience smote him.

  4. to affect suddenly and strongly with a specified feeling: They were smitten with terror.

  5. to impress favorably; charm; enamor: He was smitten by her charms.

verb (used without object),smote or (Obsolete) smit; smit·ten or smit; smit·ing.
  1. to strike; deal a blow.

Idioms about smite

  1. smite hip and thigh. hip1 (def. 9).

Origin of smite

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English smiten, Old English smītan; cognate with German schmeissen “to throw,” Dutch smijten

Other words for smite

Other words from smite

  • smiter, noun

Words Nearby smite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use smite in a sentence

  • I coloured, partly with the praise and partly because I was wondering how many smite-and-spare-nots I was worth.

    The Yeoman Adventurer | George W. Gough

British Dictionary definitions for smite

smite

/ (smaɪt) /


verbsmites, smiting, smote, smitten or smit (mainly tr) mainly archaic
  1. to strike with a heavy blow or blows

  2. to damage with or as if with blows

  1. to afflict or affect severely: smitten with flu

  2. to afflict in order to punish

  3. (intr foll by on) to strike forcibly or abruptly: the sun smote down on him

Origin of smite

1
Old English smītan; related to Old High German smīzan to smear, Gothic bismeitan, Old Swedish smēta to daub

Derived forms of smite

  • smiter, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012