# smitten

/ˈsmɪtən/ (US) · /smˈɪtən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/smitten
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. in love

adjective · CEFR B2

suddenly feeling very attracted to someone or in love with them.

For teachers: strongly attracted to someone; experiencing a sudden and intense romantic infatuation.

- He was completely smitten with her from the moment they first met.
- Although they had only spoken for a few minutes, he was clearly smitten, unable to stop talking about her for the rest of the evening.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'with'.

### 2. strongly impressed

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

very impressed by or interested in an idea, place, or thing.

For teachers: deeply affected or captivated by a particular quality, idea, or object.

- She was smitten by the beauty of the small mountain village.
- The young architect was smitten by the brutalist structures of the city, finding inspiration in their raw, concrete forms.

Usage: Often followed by 'by' or 'with'.

### 3. past participle of smite

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

the past form of 'smite', meaning to hit someone very hard or to be attacked by a disease.

For teachers: the past participle of 'smite'; used to describe being struck down, heavily defeated, or afflicted by a sudden illness.

- The population was smitten by a mysterious fever during the long winter.
- In the ancient legends, the hero's enemies were smitten by his powerful sword before they could even draw their own weapons.

## Examples

- He was completely smitten with his new puppy.
- From the moment they met at the conference, it was clear that he was smitten with her intelligence and wit.
- Though usually cynical about modern art, she found herself utterly smitten by the vibrant textures and bold colors of the local gallery's latest exhibition.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.