socked
UK[sɒkt]US[sɑːkt]
v
Past tense and past participle of 'sock', meaning to hit or strike forcefully.
v
(informal) To deliver a powerful blow or punch.
v
(slang) To have a strong, surprising, or impressive effect on someone.
Morpheme Breakdown
sock
ed
sock
to strike
ed
past tense suffix
Etymology
The verb 'sock', meaning to strike, emerged in Middle English around the 17th century. Its origin is likely onomatopoeic, imitating the sound of a forceful impact, such as a punch landing or a heavy object being hit. This vivid, sound-based root gave rise to the informal and slang senses of delivering a powerful blow. The addition of the common Germanic past-tense suffix '-ed' creates 'socked', which carries the core meaning of having delivered such a strike, whether physical ("he socked the bully") or metaphorical ("the news socked him with surprise").
Analysis
Structure: sock (to strike) + ed (past tense suffix)
sock: From Middle English 'sokken', meaning to strike or hit. Its ultimate origin is uncertain but may be imitative of the sound of a blow.
ed: A suffix of Germanic origin (Old English '-ede', '-ode', '-adon') used to form the past tense and past participle of regular verbs.
Examples
He socked the punching bag so hard it swung back violently.
The sudden drop in stock prices really socked investors.
In the old cartoon, the hero would always get socked on the jaw before winning the fight.