stun
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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Her wit stunned the audience.
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The world was stunned by the attempted assassination.
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to daze or bewilder by noise.
- Synonyms:
- stupefy
verb (used without object)
noun
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the act of stunning.
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the condition of being stunned.
verb
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to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall
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to shock or overwhelm
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to surprise or astound
noun
Related Words
See shock 1.
Etymology
Origin of stun
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English stonen, stunen (verb), from Old French estoner “to shake, make resound”; astonish
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.
That’s especially maddening for Ezekowitz, who doesn’t waste his computing power on upsets that stun exactly nobody.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Scotland, who aim to stun France and boost their own title hopes on Saturday, have not won the Triple Crown since 1990.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026
Axon Enterprises stock jumped on Wednesday, as the maker of Taser stun guns said its efforts at providing artificial intelligence-driven services to law enforcement clients have led to bookings.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026
Taser, the biggest manufacturer of stun guns, insists their products are safe.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
He wanted to stun Stalin with the news.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
