Seems like a useful verb-basically a classier way of saying “to hit”. We still speak of being “smitten” (in reference to romantic love).
Yet “smite” seems undersed. The KJV Bible likes it-when did it become passe?
After Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002):
My son plays ‘Smite’ everyday.
I get updates everyday.
I know he told me who the new god(dess) is going to be but damn if I can remember.
It’s one of those conversations where I smile and nod and hope he doesn’t quiz me afterwards.
oOT SMITE!
It’s out of use? I still use it. I recently threatened to issue someone a smitation, in fact. Of course, I’ve been accused of “talking funny” a few times.
I hear “smitten” occasionally, but in such a different context. “Smiting” feels like something only a God or Goddess can do, maybe because of it’s use int he King James Bible.
Check her out. Yeah, I’d smite that. But first I have to study. Time to smite the books. Then tonight I’m going to see a show. It’s a Broadway smite!
Back in my younger Adventure-playing days, I encountered a huge fierce snake that barred my way!
Among my many attempts to get past the snake, I tried “SMITE SNAKE” (It seemed reasonable, since I was carrying the rusty Rod at the time.) But it didn’t understand.
This was in the early 1970’s. So if Adventure didn’t grok that, I guess it was already out of style then.
I use it when I want to sound biblical.
Past tense of “smite”-is it “smote”?
Play a paladin in Dungeons & Dragons. They smite evil creatures with great regularity.
*“Here at Orbital Artillery Command, people complain we think we’re God. We aren’t God; we just borrowed his ‘smite’ button” *- a quote I picked up somewhere.
“Smite Evil!”
I see that a fair amount as an Order of the Stick fan.
Smite is roughly associated with the divine now. I don’t think it really has the connotation of “to hit” so much as “hit with heavenly fury”. I know plenty of people who use it, but only when they’re being over the top (or, as mentioned, talking about roleplaying games).
When it came to be used primarily as a divine thing is a good question, though.