stumped
Americanadjective
-
completely at a loss; perplexed or nonplussed.
The stumped officer could only stare at the strange object, trying to figure out what it might be.
-
reduced to a stump; truncated; lopped.
Bowser was a small dog with a stumped tail.
These hills are in fact the stumped remains of mountains millions of years old.
-
Chiefly Southern U.S. stubbed, as one’s toe.
At the talk, someone in the audience joked, "A stumped toe is all I need as proof that matter is real!"
-
cleared of stumps.
It was looking more and more impossible to get the recently cleared and stumped field ready for planting by April 26.
-
(of a crayon drawing, pencil rendering, etc.) toned or modified by means of a stump, a blunt-tipped tool made of tightly rolled paper, leather, etc..
A stumped drawing by Willem de Kooning, almost rubbed out, inspired our interest in the process of reproduction.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stumped
First recorded in 1595–1605; 1840–45 stumped for def. 3; stump ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; stump ( def. ) + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
They unsurprisingly struggled without significant contributions from their Australian superstars - Phoebe Litchfield was caught attempting a ramp off Charley Phillips for 10 and Annabel Sutherland was stumped off Georgia Adams for 25.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
But so far she hasn’t stumped for him, instead lobbing veiled criticisms of Talarico’s efforts to win over Black voters.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Inter, having stumped up the Brazilian's buyout clause, got a 20-year-old with the world at his record-breaking feet who would lead them to Uefa Cup glory that season and later captain the Nerazzurri.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
The viewing sessions got more serious after Cicero told his friends he went to a trivia night and was stumped by a question on the license plate on Jerry’s Saab convertible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
He gave a small, smug nod, as if he had stumped me with that one.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
