fear-struck

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   overcome, transfixed, or deeply affected by fear

   The fear-struck witness stood silent as footsteps approached the door.

A compound of fear and struck, the past participle of strike, on the same pattern as awe-struck and horror-struck. The image is of fear striking a person so forcefully that it overwhelms or immobilizes them; the closed spelling fearstruck is also attested.

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External links

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