smitten

Meanings

1. 1adjectiveafter a verb

   Suddenly and strongly attracted to a person, often with romantic or infatuated feelings.

   Grammar: Usually follows be, seem, feel, or look: was smitten with her; rarely stands before a noun.

   Patterns

   • be smitten with someone
   • feel smitten by someone
   • be instantly smitten

   They met at a book club and he was smitten by the end of the evening.

   She tried to act calm, but everyone could see she was smitten.

2. 2adjectiveafter a verb

   Strongly and suddenly charmed by a place, activity, or idea.

   Grammar: Common pattern is be smitten with or by something; use by to emphasize the cause.

   Patterns

   • be smitten with something
   • be smitten by something
   • become smitten with an idea

   After one weekend in the mountains, we were smitten with the quiet village.

   He became smitten with the idea of building furniture by hand.

Common combinations

instantly smitten

The rescue dog was instantly smitten with her new owner.

smitten with someone

He denied it, but he was clearly smitten with his neighbor.

smitten by an idea

The team was smitten by the idea of a solar-powered scooter.

hopelessly smitten

She was hopelessly smitten and laughed at every joke.

Synonyms and how they differ

infatuated

Often shorter, more overwhelming, and less steady than smitten can sound.

enamored

More formal; usually takes of or with and can be less sudden.

captivated

Held by charm or interest, not necessarily romantic attraction.

Opposites

Word family

smite verb

To strike or affect strongly; now mostly literary or historical.

Commonly confused: smitten or bitten?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “smitten”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words