'awestruck' originates from the combination of the noun 'awe' and the past participle 'struck' (from 'strike'). 'Awe' comes from Old English and related Germanic sources meaning 'fear' or 'terror', while 'struck' is the past participle of 'strike' (Old English roots).

'awe' changed from Old English forms such as 'ege'/'eġe' into Middle English 'awe', and the past participle 'struck' derives from Old English/Middle English forms of 'strike' (e.g. Old English 'strīcan' leading through Middle English to modern 'strike' forms), combining in Early Modern English into the compound adjective 'awestruck'.

Initially, 'awe' tended toward meanings of 'fear' or 'terror'; over time the sense shifted toward reverential wonder and admiration, and 'awestruck' developed to mean being overwhelmed by that reverential wonder rather than only by fear.