stunned
Americanadjective
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deprived of consciousness or strength.
When the fish came close enough, they would get bopped on the head with a club or an axe by the fishermen, who would then drag the stunned fish into the boat.
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showing or reflecting astonishment, shock, or bewilderment.
A stunned spectator managed a "You're kidding?" but nothing more.
The curtain fell to a stunned silence, and then rapturous applause and hysterical laughter.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stunned
Explanation
When you're stunned, you're thrown for a loop: either by shocking news or a blow to the head. You can be stunned a few different ways, but they all involve a state of confusion. If your mom won the lottery, you'd be stunned. Others might be stunned if their favorite TV show was canceled. Some people are stunned by good news that is kind of amazing, like a NASA flight to Mars. On the other hand, getting whacked in the head can leave you stunned. Getting the wind knocked out of you will do the same.
Vocabulary lists containing stunned
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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Ghost Boys
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Fish in a Tree
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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.
Packed prematch marches stunned organizers who were unfamiliar with the tradition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
He was stunned to see his grandfather appear on screen, holding his father’s hand at the train station in Fort Bliss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
When Powers — posting as Falk — came upon the Crystal River Learning Academy’s Facebook page and saw people from the community liking the page and supporting Salute, she was stunned.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
But the sudden and unpublicized switcheroo stunned Wall Street analysts and caused a bit of a mini controversy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
But she was momentarily stunned into silence, her brow furrowed.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
