thunderstrike

From thunder +‎ strike.

thunderstrike (third-person singular simple present thunderstrikes, present participle thunderstriking, simple past thunderstruck, past participle thunderstricken)

1. (transitive, now rare) To strike, blast, or injure by, or as if by, lightning.
   • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation or A New Prayse of the Old Asse‎^[1], London: John Wolfe, page 8:

     […] some terrible bombarder of tearmes, as wilde as wildfire, that at the first flash of his fury, would leaue me thunder-stricken vpon the ground, or at the last volley of his outrage, would batter me to dust, and ashes.

   • 1625, Samuel Purchas, Purchas His Pilgrimes, Part 3, London: Henrie Fetherstone, Book 4, Chapter 9, § 1, p. 738,^[2]

     And such Warres haue made impressions into all our Neighbour Countries […] haue lightened on Turkie and blasted the Seraglio; haue thunder-stricken Barbarie, haue torne the Atlas there,

   • 1678, Ralph Cudworth, The True Intellectual System of the Universe‎^[3], London: Richard Royston, Book 1, Chapter 5, p. 672:

     [They] Seat God in the Clouds, and imagine his hands to be Employed, in opening and shutting the Cloisters of the Winds, in sprinkling the Flowers with dews, and thunder-striking the Tops of Mountains;

   • 1717, Joseph Addison (translator), Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books, London: Jacob Tonson, Book 2, “The Story of Phaeton,” p. 48,^[4]

     At once from Life, and from the Chariot driv’n,

     Th’ ambitious Boy fell Thunder-struck from Heav’n.

   • 1816, Lord Byron, Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage‎^[5], London: John Murray, Canto 4, stanza 181, p. 93:

     The armaments which thunderstrike the walls
     Of rock-built cities, bidding nations quake,

2. (transitive, figurative, now rare) To astonish, or strike dumb, as with something terrible.
   • 1769, Arthur Murphy, Genuine Memoirs of the Life and Adventures of the Celebrated Miss Ann Elliot‎^[6], London: J. Fell and J. Roson, p:

     At the expiration of this time, his lordship, who was already married, received a letter from his lady, who had been at the German Spa to drink the waters, intimating that she was on her return to England. This thunderstruck his lordship, who was sensible, that on her ladyship’s coming home, his new mistress must decamp.

   • 2008 September 25, David Hornsby, “Mac's Banging the Waitress” (1:38 from the start), in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia‎^[7], season 4, episode 4, spoken by Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day):

     “Look, I tell you what, Mac. Seeing how as you're my best friend” “Yeah!” “Maybe you can look into it for me. Go snoop around the shop.” “Can-can I stop you for a second? I'm sorry. I'm a little confused here. You-you just said that he was your best friend? How is he your best friend over me?” “Well, I mean... You banged the waitress. Do I even have to explain that to you? That kind of rubbed me the wrong way, dude.” “Okay. I mean, you know, I don't see how that should factor into whether we're best friends or not. Y'know, to be honest with you, man, I'm a little shocked. I'm-I'm kinda-- I'm thunderstruck.” “Oh, well, I'm sorry, man. But y'know I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to thunderstrike you. But that's just-- I don't know what to tell you. What do you want to hear?” “I need for you to explain to me how it is that you consider Mac to be a better friend to you.” “Look, now this is just becoming awkward when I have a real problem! And all of a sudden it's about some weird feelings thing! And it's not about your feelings right now! It's about my feelings 'cause I have a problem, okay?. Now, Mac, please, do you think you can find this guy and kick his ass for me?”

thunderstrike (plural thunderstrikes)

1. The striking of lightning.