What this suffix does
-struck describes someone suddenly and intensely impacted: awestruck, starstruck (dazzled by a celebrity), dumbstruck (speechless with shock).
ESEN
Suffix · forms adjectives
-struck
Forms adjectives describing someone suddenly and intensely affected: awestruck, thunderstruck, starstruck, dumbstruck, moonstruck, horror-struck.
In Spanish: impactado por / deslumbrado porIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
How it is formed
Noun + struck.
- awe + struckawestruck
- star + struckstarstruck
- thunder + struckthunderstruck
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
How it is pronounced
-struck/strʌk/ · sounds like "struck"
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -struck
In a phrase
- aweawestruckThe kids were awestruck by the size of the dinosaur skeleton.
- thunderthunderstruckHe was thunderstruck when he heard he'd won the prize.
- starstarstruckShe was completely starstruck when she met her favorite singer.
- dumbdumbstruckI was dumbstruck, I didn't know what to say.
- moonmoonstruckHe's been moonstruck ever since he met her.
- horrorhorror-struckThe horror-struck witnesses called the police right away.
- sunsunstruckAfter hours in the sun, he felt dizzy and sunstruck.
Common mistakes
dumbstruck = stupid
dumbstruck = unable to speak from shock
"Dumb" in classical and literary English means "mute," not "stupid." "Dumbstruck" = silenced by the impact of a shock or surprise. No connotation of stupidity.
awestruck and amazed are the same
awestruck implies reverence and near-paralysis; amazed is milder
"Amazed" = surprised and impressed. "Awestruck" = overwhelmed by something of near-superhuman grandeur, with a blend of admiration and sacred fear. "Awestruck" is higher register and more literary.
A trick to remember it
"Struck" also comes from "strike", but for a sudden emotional impact. Picture a lightning bolt hitting you right in the chest: awe-STRUCK = awe hit you all at once, out of nowhere.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"She stood awestruck before the ancient ruins." What does "awestruck" express?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -struck mean in English?
The suffix -struck forms adjectives describing someone suddenly and intensely affected: awestruck, thunderstruck, starstruck, dumbstruck, moonstruck, horror-struck. In Spanish it usually maps to impactado por / deslumbrado por.
How do you pronounce -struck?
The ending -struck is pronounced /strʌk/ · sounds like "struck". For example, "awestruck".
Can you give an example of a word with -struck?
"awe" becomes "awestruck". It is a typical example of the -struck suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-born
Forms adjectives about birth: firstborn, newborn, foreign-born (born in another country). Also common in fantasy/historical novels for social class: highborn (noble birth), lowborn (humble birth).
-bound
From the past participle of "bind": forms adjectives meaning "confined by," "heading toward," or "obligated by." Spellbound, earthbound, homebound, hidebound, snowbound, inbound.
-stricken
Forms adjectives describing someone or something severely affected by an emotion, condition, or calamity: poverty-stricken, grief-stricken, panic-stricken, awe-stricken, drought-stricken.
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