stun

[stuhn]

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verb (used with object), stunned, stun·ning.

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.

noun

the act of stunning.

the condition of being stunned.

Origin of stun

1250–1300; Middle English stonen, stunen (v.) < Old French estoner to shake, make resound; see astonish

Related formsun·stunned, adjective

Synonyms for stun

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR stun ON THESAURUS.COM

2, 3. See shock¹. 4. stupefy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for stun

paralyze, dumbfound, bewilder, overwhelm, bemuse, confuse, astound, confound, amaze, astonish, daze, rock, surprise, flabbergast, overcome, overpower, hit, floor, muddle, stagger

Examples from the Web for stun

Contemporary Examples of stun

The authorities were trying to arrest another man suspected of throwing a stun grenade when Hamdan attacked.
A New Intifada? Israel’s Arab Citizen Uprising Spreads
Creede Newton
November 10, 2014
Even show ponies are not exempt from ending up in a narrowing chute that feeds the condemned in single file into the “stun box.”
Central Park’s Carriages Saved This Horse
Michael Daly
April 24, 2014
Stun grenades exploded on the edges making a sound like a building being detonated.
My Life Behind Kiev’s Barricades
Vijai Maheshwari
February 21, 2014
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.
Alabama Hostage Standoff: Jimmy Lee Dykes Seized Boy to Gain Attention
Michael Daly
February 6, 2013

Historical Examples of stun

Sir, it will stun you; and you should have nothing to disturb you in the state of health you are in.
The Imaginary Invalid
Molire
Their intention was to stun her only and then make off with her little bag.
Fruitfulness
Emile Zola
My young mis', she had a ring on her finger wid a stun in it like a star.
Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 22, September, 1878
Various
But I'll be durned if I ever seen a stun fired as neat as that!
Peak and Prairie
Anna Fuller
As in the morning, so again now the sound seemed to stun the vigorous man.
A Ghetto Violet
Leopold Kompert

British Dictionary definitions for stun

stun

verb stuns, stunning or stunned (tr)

to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall

to shock or overwhelm

to surprise or astound

noun

the state or effect of being stunned

Word Origin for stun

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for stun

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.