stunted

American  

[stuhn-tid] / ˈstʌn tɪd /

adjective

1. slowed or stopped abnormally in growth or development.

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Other Word Forms

• stuntedness
  noun
• unstunted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of stunted

First recorded in 1650–60; stunt ¹ + -ed ²

Explanation

If something is stunted, it's been prevented from growing or developing to its full potential. After a hot, dry summer, there's nothing left in your vegetable garden but a few stunted tomato plants. Stunted things are scrawny, like the tiny runt in a litter of puppies. A lack of sun in your yard will result in stunted roses and daisies, and malnourishment can lead to stunted growth in humans. People can also be emotionally stunted if they aren't nurtured and encouraged to express their feelings. Stunted comes from the verb stunt, "prevent from growing or developing properly."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stunted

I quit social media after visiting my college-aged daughter, who bemoaned the perception that young people are all anxious, isolated and socially stunted because of the stranglehold of social media and TikTok.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Yet as second-quarter GDP is expected to show, the U.S. economy remains resilient in the face of an array of challenges that in the past might have severely stunted growth.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

Plant growth can be stunted in dry soil, affecting animals or birds that rely on them for food or the success of a food crop.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

It painted a dire picture of a nation where one-in-two children under five years has stunted growth, and nearly three-quarters of 10 year-olds leave school illiterate.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

There was no pretense at hedges here, no pretense at separation or privacy, just low buildings side by side amid a scattering of stunted shrubs and cashew trees.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie