moonstruck

English

WOTD – 11 April 2025

Etymology

Frommoon +‎struck(adjective),^[1] possiblycoined by the English poet and polemicistJohn Milton (1608–1674): see the quotation.^[2] CompareByzantine Greekσεληνόβλητος(selēnóblētos),σεληνόπληκτος(selēnóplēktos),Germanmondsüchtig, andGerman Low Germanmaansüchtig, which also refer to being struck by the moon.^[1]

Pronunciation

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(Received Pronunciation)IPA^(key):/ˈmuːnstɹʌk/
(General American)IPA^(key):/ˈmunˌstɹʌk/
Audio(General American): (file)
Hyphenation:moon‧struck

Adjective

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moonstruck (comparativemoremoonstruck,superlativemostmoonstruck)

(archaic) Of aperson:perverted orinsane, originallysupposedly due to theinfluence of theMoon; comparelunatic.
Synonyms:lunatic,(archaic)moonstricken
- 1674,John Milton, “Book XI”, inParadise Lost. […], 2nd edition, London:[…]S[amuel] Simmons […],→OCLC,pages299–300:
  VVhat miſerie th' inabſtinence ofEve / Shall bring on men.[…] all maladies / Of gaſtly Spaſm, or racking torture, qualmes / Of heart-ſick Agonie, all feavorous kinds, / Convulſions, Epilepſies, fierce Catarrhs, / Inteſtin Stone and Ulcer, Colic pangs, / Dæmoniac Phrenzie, moaping Melanchole / AndMoon-ſtruck madneſs, pining Atrophie, / Maraſmus, and vvide-vvaſting Peſtilence, / Dropſies, and Aſthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums.
  This is the earliest quotation indicated in theOxford English Dictionary.
- 1742, [Alexander Pope], “Book the Fourth”, inThe New Dunciad: As is^[sic] It was Found in the Year 1741. […], Dublin:[…]George Faulkner,→OCLC,page10, lines9–12:
  'Tvvas vvhen the Dog-ſtar's unpropitious ray / Smote ev'ry brain, and vvither'd ev'ry Bay; / Sick vvas the Sun, the Ovvl forſook his bovv'r, / Themoon-ſtruck Prophet felt the madding hour:[…]
- 1905,Gilbert K[eith] Chesterton, “Introductory Remarks on the Importance of Orthodoxy”, inHeretics, London; New York, N.Y.:John Lane;The Bodley Head,→OCLC,pages20–21:
  It may be that there have been manymoonstruck and misleading ideals that have from time to time perplexed mankind. But assuredly there has been no ideal in practice somoonstruck and misleading as the ideal of practicality.
(figurative)Showingirrationalbehaviour, especially of aromantic orsentimentalnature; in anentranced ordistractedstate, especially due to beingin love.
Synonym:(archaic)moonstricken
- 1849 May –1850 November,Charles Dickens, “Blissful”, inThe Personal History of David Copperfield, London:Bradbury & Evans, […], published1850,→OCLC,page335:
  […] I, themoon-struck slave of Dora, perambulated round and round the house and garden for two hours,[…] blowing kisses at the lights in the windows, and romantically calling on the night, at intervals, to shield my Dora—I don't know exactly what from, I suppose from fire.
- 1852,[Matthew] A[rnold], “Tristram and Iseult. I. Tristram.”, inEmpedocles on Etna, and Other Poems, London: B. Fellowes, […],pages120–121:
  "Up, Tristram, up," men cry, "thoumoonstruck knight! / What foul fiend rides thee? On into the fight!" / —Above the din her voice is in my ears— / I see her form glide through the crossing spears,— / Iseult! … .
- 1902,William James, “Lectures IV and V: The Religion of Healthy-mindedness”, inThe Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature[…], New York, N.Y.; London:Longmans, Green, and Co. […],→OCLC,page96:
  [W]e can also overlook the verbiage of a good deal of the mind-cure literature, some of which is somoonstruck with optimism and so vaguely expressed that an academically trained intellect finds it almost impossible to read it at all.
- 1925,Sinclair Lewis, chapter XXI, inArrowsmith, New York, N.Y.:Harcourt, Brace and Company,→OCLC, section IV,page232:
  The full moon was spacious now behind the maples. The seedy Pickerbaugh domain was enchanted;[…] and over all the world was the proper witchery ofmoonstruck love.
(obsolete exceptUK,regional)Madephysicallysick, or (likefish)unsuitable forfood, by thesupposedeffect ofmoonlight.
- 1847,[Sarah Bowdich] Lee, chapter XVIII, inThe African Crusoes: Or The Adventures of Carlos and Antonio, Boston, Mass.:Lee and Shepard; New York, N.Y.: Lee, Shepard & Dillingham, […], published1873,→OCLC,pages392–393:
  "Yes, yes, thank God! I am not blind; I was afraid I wasmoon-struck." "Moon-struck!" uttered Carlos in astonishment. "What do you mean?" "Why, don't you know," answered Antonio, "that sleeping in the open air by moonlight often causes contractions, and sometimes makes persons blind whenever the moon shines?"