moonstruck
/ˈmuːnstɹʌk/
"moonstruck" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“moonstruck” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of a person: perverted or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon; compare lunatic.
Corpus desk
Index EN-moonstruck · moonstruck · English
moonstruck · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "M" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | moonstruck |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈmuːnstɹʌk/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “moonstruck” in English
Rare enough to double-check
moonstruck is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈmuːnstɹʌk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for moonstruck in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: 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 maan… The correct English form is moonstruck, spelled M-O-O-N-S-T-R-U-C-K.
Definition
- 1Of a person: perverted or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon; compare lunatic.
- 2Showing irrational behaviour, especially of a romantic or sentimental nature; in an entranced or distracted state, especially due to being in love.
- 3Made physically sick, or (like fish) unsuitable for food, by the supposed effect of moonlight.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how moonstruck appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
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 vvi…
'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, / The moon-ſtruck Prophet felt the madding hour: […]
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.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.