smitten

American  

[smit-n] / ˈsmɪt n /

adjective

1. overwhelmed with attraction or affection toward someone or something.

2. struck, such as with a hard blow.

3. grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted.

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verb

1. a past participle of smite.

smitten British  

/ ˈsmɪtən /

verb

1. a past participle of smite

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adjective

1. (postpositive) affected by love (for)

Usage

What does smitten mean? Smitten is most popularly used to mean deeply in love. It can also mean infatuated due to being extremely impressed or fond of someone or something, as in I’m just smitten with your new hairstyle or She’s smitten with her new granddaughter. Another way to say any of these things is in love. In a more negative sense, smitten can mean severely or intensely affected or afflicted, such as by illness. All of these senses derive from the fact that smitten is the past participle of the verb smite, which means to strike, damage, injure, attack, or afflict. While smite is often associated with archaic uses (such as its use in the King James Bible to refer to the wrath of God), most senses of the word smitten don’t have this association. Example: I can tell just by the look in your eyes that you’re smitten. What’s his name?

Other Word Forms

• unsmitten
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of smitten

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English; equivalent to smite + -en ³

Explanation

Smitten means overwhelmed or struck by something, usually love. The way you light up every time the waiter comes over to your table, it’s obvious you’re smitten with him. Smitten is related to the verb smite, which comes from the Old English smitan, meaning “to hit, strike, beat.” What do hitting and beating have to do with love, you may ask? Well, when some people fall in love they report feeling as though they've been "struck by lightning." Obviously those people have never actually been struck by lightning, because when you're struck by lightning you don't start saying things like, "Oh, you like the beach? Brad loves the beach!" and, "You have a cat? So does Brad!"

Example Sentences

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Trump is so smitten with his Florsheim dress shoes that he shod his whole Cabinet in the same footwear.

From Slate • Mar. 14, 2026

Pep Guardiola is so smitten by Rayan Cherki that the Manchester City boss said he wanted to kiss the "incredible" French star after his virtuoso performance in Saturday's 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.

From Barron's • Dec. 27, 2025

In 1935 he brought Ruth, then 19, to a lavish celebration hosted by Goebbels, who was, Ms. Kuehn reports, smitten.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

For me the most fun thing to play was just how smitten he is.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

I was in my own room as usual—just myself, without obvious change: nothing had smitten me, or scathed me, or maimed me.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë