Use “smitten with” for the feeling itself, and use “smitten by” when you name the thing that triggered the feeling.
“Smitten” is one of those words that sounds simple until you try to write it. You mean a rush of liking, a quick crush, or both. Then you pause at the next word. Is it smitten with or smitten by?
Both show up in polished writing. Both can be correct. The difference sits in the relationship between the feeling and its cause.
Fast Comparison Table
| Phrase | What It Points To | Best Fit When You Write |
|---|---|---|
| Smitten with + person/thing | Your state of affection | You’re naming what you like and centering the emotion |
| Smitten by + feature/act/quality | The trigger or cause | You’re naming what “did it” to you: a smile, a voice, a gesture |
| Smitten with + idea/activity | Enthusiasm, not romance | You mean strong liking: a hobby, a style, a subject |
| Smitten by + sight/sound | A sudden impact | You want a cinematic “hit” moment: the first glimpse, the first line spoken |
| Smitten with + “remorse”/“guilt” | A feeling that arrives | You’re describing being overtaken by an emotion |
| Smitten by + “remorse”/“guilt” | Less common in modern use | It can work, but it reads heavier and more formal |
| Smitten (no preposition) | Emotion implied | You keep it short: “He was smitten.” Context carries the rest |
| Smitten with + “publicity” | Strong liking | You mean fascination with attention, fame, or a topic |
What “Smitten” Means In Modern English
Today, “smitten” usually means “suddenly and strongly taken with” someone or something. Dictionaries define it as being strongly affected by love or liking, and many entries show both “with” and “by” patterns in real sentences. You can check the wording and sample sentences in Cambridge Dictionary’s entry for “smitten”.
The older root is the verb “smite,” meaning to strike. That history still shapes the tone. “Smitten” can feel like a quick hit: an instant crush, a sudden fascination, a sharp turn in mood. When writers choose “by,” they often lean into that “hit by a feeling” vibe.
You’ll also see “smitten” used with feelings like remorse or guilt, and with illnesses in older or more formal writing. In that sense, “smitten with” works like “afflicted with.” It’s not romantic at all. It’s a quick way to say a feeling or condition arrived and took over.
Smitten With Or Smitten By
If you searched for “smitten with or smitten by,” you’re trying to pick the preposition that matches your meaning, fast.
Smitten With And Smitten By In Real Writing
Here’s the clean way to sort the two. “With” tends to attach your feeling to a target. “By” tends to attach your feeling to a cause. The target and the cause can be the same thing, yet the sentence spotlights one of them more than the other.
Use “Smitten With” When The Target Matters Most
Use “smitten with” when you want the reader to focus on what you like. That “what” can be a person, a place, a pet, a hobby, a band, a class, or even an emotion that washes over you.
- She’s smitten with her new neighbor.
- I’m smitten with the tiny bakery on the corner.
- He was smitten with the puppy the moment it waddled over.
In each sentence, the object after “with” is the thing that holds your attention. The phrase reads like a direct confession of liking.
Use “Smitten By” When The Trigger Deserves The Spotlight
Use “smitten by” when the sentence wants a spark. You’re pointing at a specific feature, action, or moment that caused the feeling. This pattern can sound a touch more literary, since it echoes “struck by.”
- He was smitten by her laugh.
- She was smitten by the way the teacher told the story.
- We were smitten by the view from the ferry.
Notice what comes after “by.” It’s often not the whole person or whole thing. It’s the hook: the laugh, the view, the riff, the line of dialogue.
How To Choose In One Pass
If you want a quick check while you write, use this swap test. Replace “smitten” with “in love” or “taken.” If the sentence sounds smooth with “with,” stick with “with.” If the sentence sounds better with “struck,” “moved,” or “won over,” “by” will often read cleaner.
Swap Test A: “Taken With”
“Taken with” is a close cousin of “smitten with.” If your sentence can become “taken with” without changing your meaning, you’re in “with” territory.
- She was taken with his calm voice.
- She was smitten with his calm voice.
Both work. The second feels more romantic or more intense. The preposition choice stays the same.
Swap Test B: “Struck By”
“Struck by” matches the older “smite” flavor. If “struck by” feels natural, “smitten by” can work too.
- I was struck by the kindness in her reply.
- I was smitten by the kindness in her reply.
Common Mix-Ups And Clean Fixes
Most confusion comes from one problem: we mix up the target with the trigger. The fix is simple. Decide what you want to foreground, then pick the preposition that points at it.
Mix-Up 1: Treating A Detail Like A Person
If you write “smitten with her smile,” it’s not wrong. It just changes the feel. “With” reads like you’re attached to the smile as a thing you like. “By” reads like the smile caused the moment of attraction.
- More cause-focused: He was smitten by her smile.
- More target-focused: He was smitten with her smile.
Mix-Up 2: Using “By” With A Whole Person When You Mean A Crush
If you want to keep “by” with a whole person, give the reader a reason inside the same sentence. That way “by” still points to a cause, even if the cause is the person as a whole.
- Clearer: He was smitten by her calm confidence.
- Clearer: She was smitten by him, then laughed at herself for it.
“Smitten by her” is grammatical, and you’ll see it. Still, many readers expect “with” when the object is a whole person. If your meaning is “I have a crush on her,” “with” is the safer default.
- Safer: He was smitten with her.
- More dramatic: He was smitten by her.
Mix-Up 3: Forgetting That “Smitten” Also Works For Non-Romantic Liking
You can be smitten with an idea, a subject, a team, a style of writing, or a place. In that sense, “smitten” can mean “strongly taken with.” Cambridge lists a publicity sentence that uses “with,” which shows this broader meaning in ordinary English.
When you’re writing about interests, “with” will usually feel natural. “By” can still fit if you point at the moment that hooked you.
Grammar Notes That Make Your Sentences Sound Natural
Once you know the meaning, the next job is rhythm. “Smitten” has a slightly old-fashioned ring, so small choices around it matter.
Pick The Right Subject For The Tone
- I was smitten with the new café.
- She was smitten by the chef’s patience.
Keep Modifiers Tight
“Smitten” already carries force. Piling on extra intensifiers can make the line sound try-hard. Use one clear detail, then stop.
- Clean: He was smitten by her dry humor.
- Messy: He was kind of smitten by her dry humor and stuff.
Watch For Passive Pileups
“Was smitten” is passive in form, and “by” can add another passive feel if the sentence is long. If the line starts to sag, shorten it or make the trigger a crisp noun phrase.
- Long: She was smitten by the fact that he had read every chapter before class.
- Tighter: She was smitten by his prep.
Where Dictionaries Put “With” And “By”
Major learner dictionaries list both options. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines “smitten” as “smitten with/by something,” which signals that both patterns are standard. If you want to see that label in context, read Oxford Learner’s entry for “smitten”.
So you’re not choosing between right and wrong. You’re choosing what the sentence leans toward: the object of affection or the spark that lit it.
Writing Checklist You Can Use While Editing
When you’re revising, treat “with” and “by” like a camera angle. “With” points the camera at the thing you like. “By” points it at the moment or feature that caused the liking. If you keep that in mind, edits go fast.
Quick Checklist Table
| Question To Ask | If Yes, Prefer | Why It Reads Better |
|---|---|---|
| Am I naming the person or thing I like? | With | The object of liking sits right after the preposition |
| Am I naming a single feature that “did it”? | By | “By” frames the feature as the trigger |
| Is my sentence about a hobby or interest? | With | It signals strong liking without extra drama |
| Do I want a sudden-impact feel? | By | It echoes “struck by” and keeps the moment vivid |
| Does “taken with” sound natural in my draft? | With | It’s a close structure match |
| Does “struck by” sound natural in my draft? | By | It matches the cause-focused frame |
| Will my reader expect a plain crush sentence? | With | It’s the common everyday pattern with people |
Small Style Choices That Keep It Clean
“Smitten” can sound playful or a little old-school. You control that with the words around it. Pair it with plain language if you want it to feel current. Pair it with longer clauses if you’re writing fiction or memoir.
Keep The Time Signal Clear
“Was smitten” points to a past moment. “Am smitten” sounds present and light. Pick one time frame and keep it steady through the paragraph so the line doesn’t stick out.
Avoid Stacking Prepositions
If you already have a “by” phrase in the same sentence, the second “by” can feel clunky. In those cases, switch one part to “with,” or recast the sentence with a stronger verb: “Her laugh won me over.”
Putting It Together In Your Own Sentences
Try building your sentence in two steps. Step one: write the plain statement you mean, even if it feels boring. Step two: decide whether you want to center the target or the trigger, then choose “with” or “by.”
Step One: Write The Plain Meaning
Start with a straightforward line: “I like X a lot,” or “That detail made me like X.” That clarifies what you’re truly saying. It also stops you from picking a preposition out of habit.
Step Two: Choose The Angle
If your plain line is “I like X a lot,” go with “smitten with X.” If your plain line is “That detail made me like X,” go with “smitten by that detail.”
Once you practice this a few times, “smitten with or smitten by” stops being a tricky grammar question. It becomes a simple choice about what you want the reader to notice first.