Smite past tense

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Meaning of smite

to strike or hit hard.

Infinitive

Word: smite /smaɪt/
Examples:
  • 1. The righteous often believe they have the power to smite their enemies.
  • 2. In myths, gods frequently smite mortals to teach them lessons or to enforce divine will.
  • 3. She swears that if anyone harms her family, she will smite them with all the force of her anger.

Past Simple

Word: smote /smoʊt/
Examples:
  • 1. He smote the enemy with relentless fury until they were defeated.
  • 2. The judge smote the table with his gavel to bring order to the court.
  • 3. The ancient warrior smote his opponents with such skill that his name became legend.

Past Participle

Word: smitten /ˈsmɪt.ən/
Examples:
  • 1. The ancient gods were said to have smitten their enemies with great fury.
  • 2. The village was smitten by a mysterious plague last year.
  • 3. The old tree was smitten by lightning during last night's storm.

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Bare infinitive

  1. Tense. Present simple.
    Example. 'Every evening, the blacksmith smites the iron to shape it.'
    Example. 'Tomorrow, the judgment smites the guilty.'
  2. To describe an action that is a habit, general truth, or an unchanging situation.
    Example. 'Every evening, the blacksmith smites the iron to shape it.'
    Example. 'Tomorrow, the judgment smites the guilty.'
  3. Tense. Present simple.
    Example. 'Every evening, the blacksmith smites the iron to shape it.'
    Example. 'Tomorrow, the judgment smites the guilty.'
  4. To describe a scheduled event in the near future (often seen in formal registers).
    Example. 'Every evening, the blacksmith smites the iron to shape it.'
    Example. 'Tomorrow, the judgment smites the guilty.'

Past Simple

  1. Tense. Past simple.
    Example. 'The hero smote the dragon with his mighty sword yesterday.'
    Example. 'In his early years, he often smote the metal at dawn.'
  2. To describe an action that started and finished at a specific time in the past.
    Example. 'The hero smote the dragon with his mighty sword yesterday.'
    Example. 'In his early years, he often smote the metal at dawn.'
  3. Tense. Past simple.
    Example. 'The hero smote the dragon with his mighty sword yesterday.'
    Example. 'In his early years, he often smote the metal at dawn.'
  4. To describe a past habit or routine.
    Example. 'The hero smote the dragon with his mighty sword yesterday.'
    Example. 'In his early years, he often smote the metal at dawn.'

Past Participle

  1. Tense. Past participle.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  2. To form the perfect aspect, describing an action that has been completed at the time of speaking or at a specified time.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  3. Tense. Past participle.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  4. To form the passive voice, showing that the subject of the sentence is acted upon.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  5. Tense. Past participle.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  6. As an adjective, describing a state of being greatly affected or struck by something, often in a positive sense like being in love or greatly impressed.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'
  7. Remember, 'smite' is an irregular verb, which accounts for its distinct forms in past and past participle tense ('smote' and 'smitten', respectively). Its use is relatively rare and often found in literary, historical, or formal contexts, particularly when expressing strong actions or emotions.
    Example. 'By the end of the journey, the villain had been smitten by the hero's resilience.'
    Example. 'The ancient beast was finally smitten after centuries of reign.'
    Example. 'He was utterly smitten with her intelligence and wit.'

Common mistakes

— 01

Incorrect Regularization of the Verb

One common error is treating 'smite' as a regular verb, leading to incorrect forms like 'smited' for both the past simple and past participle. Correct Usage. 'Smite' is an irregular verb. The correct past simple form is 'smote' and the past participle form is 'smitten.'

— 02

Confusing forms

Another frequent mistake is using the past simple form 'smote' when the past participle 'smitten' is required, or vice versa. This often occurs in perfect tenses or passive voice constructions. Correct Usage. Use 'smote' for the past simple (e.g., 'Yesterday, he smote his enemy.') and 'smitten' for the past participle (e.g., 'He has been smitten by her charm.').

— 03

Incorrect Use of 'Smitten'

Misusing 'smitten' to refer to present situations due to its similarity to adjectives or present participles. Some might incorrectly use 'smitten' as if it were a present tense or present participle because of its -en ending, which is common in adjectives derived from past participles. Correct Usage. Remember that 'smitten' is the past participle form of 'smite' and should be used to convey a sense of being struck or affected, often metaphorically, in the past or in perfect tense constructions (e.g., 'She is completely smitten by him,' where 'smitten' is correctly used as an adjective derived from the past participle).

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'smite'?

The past simple form of 'smite' is 'smote'. This form is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. For example. 'In the ancient tale, the hero smote the dragon with his mighty sword.'

How is the past participle form of 'smite' used?

The past participle form of 'smite' is 'smitten' or 'smote'. It is used in perfect tense constructions or as an adjective. For example, in the perfect tense. 'The village had been smitten by a terrible plague.' As an adjective, it can be used like this. 'He was smitten by her beauty.'

Can 'smitten' be used in a context that is not related to physical striking?

Yes, 'smitten' is often used in a metaphorical sense to describe being deeply affected, charmed, or in love with someone or something. For example. 'From their first meeting, he was completely smitten by her.' In this context, 'smitten' acts as an adjective to describe the feeling of being captivated or enamored. Is there a difference in using 'smote' and 'smitten' as the past participle of 'smite'