stun
[stuhn]
- 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.
- to astonish; astound; amaze: Her wit stunned the audience.
- to shock; overwhelm: The world was stunned by the attempted assassination.
- to daze or bewilder by noise.
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- the act of stunning.
- the condition of being stunned.
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Origin of stun
1250–1300; Middle English stonen, stunen (v.) < Old French estoner to shake, make resound; see astonish
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
paralyzedumbfoundbewilderoverwhelmbemuseconfuseastoundconfoundamazeastonishdazerocksurpriseflabbergastovercomeoverpowerhitfloormuddlestaggerExamples from the Web for stun
Contemporary Examples
The authorities were trying to arrest another man suspected of throwing a stun grenade when Hamdan attacked.
Even show ponies are not exempt from ending up in a narrowing chute that feeds the condemned in single file into the “stun box.”
Stun grenades exploded on the edges making a sound like a building being detonated.
They acquired the tools to accomplish the deed, including a stun gun and the chemical means to anesthetize their victims.
The Cannibal Cop’s Social Network: Are More Plotting Attacks on Women?David Freedlander
April 19, 2013
When the hatch rose, the HRT team was ready to toss in two stun grenades and rush the hatch before it closed.
Historical Examples
Sir, it will stun you; and you should have nothing to disturb you in the state of health you are in.
The Imaginary InvalidMolire
Their intention was to stun her only and then make off with her little bag.
FruitfulnessEmile Zola
My young mis', she had a ring on her finger wid a stun in it like a star.
But I'll be durned if I ever seen a stun fired as neat as that!
Peak and PrairieAnna Fuller
As in the morning, so again now the sound seemed to stun the vigorous man.
A Ghetto VioletLeopold Kompert
stun
- to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall
- to shock or overwhelm
- to surprise or astound
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- the state or effect of being stunned
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Word Origin
C13 stunen, from Old French estoner to daze, stupefy, from Vulgar Latin extonāre (unattested), from Latin ex- 1 + tonāre to thunder
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for stun
v.
c.1300, "to daze or render unconscious" (from a blow, powerful emotion, etc.), probably a shortening of Old French estoner "to stun" (see astonish). Stunning popularized for "splendid, excellent" c.1849.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper