What does "moonstruck" mean?
Of a person: perverted or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon; compare lunatic.
Moonstruck
/ˈmuːnstɹʌk/ adj
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Of a person: perverted or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon; compare lunatic.
- Grammar: moonstruck is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: crazy, dreamy, insane, lunatic.
- Useful contrasts: grounded, levelheaded, practical.
- Usage evidence: VVhat miſerie th' inabſtinence of Eve / 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 / And Moon-ſtruck madneſs, pining Atrophie, / Maraſmus, and vvide-vvaſting Peſtilence, / Dropſies, and Aſthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums.
How to use "moonstruck"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Check whether "moonstruck" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Of a person: perverted or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon; compare lunatic. archaic
"VVhat miſerie th' inabſtinence of Eve / 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 / And Moon-ſtruck madneſs, pining Atrophie, / Maraſmus, and vvide-vvaſting Peſtilence, / Dropſies, and Aſthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums."
- 2 Showing irrational behaviour, especially of a romantic or sentimental nature; in an entranced or distracted state, especially due to being in love. figuratively
"[…] I, the moon-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."
- 3 Made physically sick, or (like fish) unsuitable for food, by the supposed effect of moonlight. regional
""Yes, yes, thank God! I am not blind; I was afraid I was moon-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?""
Adjective
- 1 insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"VVhat miſerie th' inabſtinence of Eve / 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 / And Moon-ſtruck madneſs, pining Atrophie, / Maraſmus, and vvide-vvaſting Peſtilence, / Dropſies, and Aſthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "moonstruck"?
Common synonyms include: crazy, dreamy, insane, lunatic, romantic, sentimental.
How do you use "moonstruck" in a sentence?
VVhat miſerie th' inabſtinence of Eve / 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 / And Moon-ſtruck madneſs, pining Atrophie, / Maraſmus, and vvide-vvaſting Peſtilence, / Dropſies, and Aſthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums.
How do you pronounce "moonstruck"?
Pronounced /ˈmuːnstɹʌk/.
Etymology
From moon + struck (adjective), possibly coined by the English poet and polemicist John Milton (1608–1674): see the quotation. Compare Byzantine Greek σεληνόβλητος (selēnóblētos), σεληνόπληκτος (selēnóplēktos), German mondsüchtig, and German Low German maansüchtig, which also refer to being struck by the moon.