stun
Americanverb (used with object)
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to deprive of consciousness or strength by or as if by a blow, fall, etc..
The blow to his jaw stunned him for a moment.
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Her wit stunned the audience.
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The world was stunned by the attempted assassination.
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to daze or bewilder by noise.
- Synonyms:
- stupefy
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act of stunning.
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the condition of being stunned.
verb
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to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall
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to shock or overwhelm
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to surprise or astound
noun
Related Words
See shock 1.
Etymology
Origin of stun
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English stonen, stunen (verb), from Old French estoner “to shake, make resound”; astonish
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The body language at the end was instructive; Celtic sprightly, Rangers stunned.
From BBC
I was stunned by how fast some of the other runners were.
It was the second straight upset for the Trailblazers, who had stunned No. 2 Etiwanda on its home court four days earlier.
From Los Angeles Times
But China's Wu, 22, responded in stunning fashion to level the match at 4-4 by reeling off three consecutive frames thanks to a pair of half-centuries and a 122 break.
From BBC
And in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates' capital, golfers enjoying a quiet round were stunned to see dozens of projectiles flying overhead.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
