stumped

American  

[stuhmpt] / stʌmpt /

adjective

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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!"

4. cleared of stumps.

   It was looking more and more impossible to get the recently cleared and stumped field ready for planting by April 26.

5. (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.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of stump.

Other Word Forms

• unstumped
  adjective

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

"We're absolutely delighted to have been invited, but it is certainly in unique and challenging circumstances," Lindblade told BBC Stumped.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

Stumped for Words: It is being stolen — that’s an absolutely valid, not at all “petty” complaint.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2023

"We've got a really nice blend of youth and experience so pulling those players together is going to be important," Knight told the BBC Stumped podcast.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2022

Stumped: In 2019, Mayor Eric Garcetti unveiled a plan to plant 90,000 trees in Los Angeles by 2021.

From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2022

Stumped by the mystery of Mr. Flux and his time-freezing camera.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles