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stunner

American  
[stuhn-er] / ˈstʌn ər /

noun

  1. a person or thing that stuns.

  2. Informal. a person or thing of striking excellence, beauty, achievement, etc.

stunner British  
/ ˈstʌnə /

noun

  1. informal a person or thing of great beauty, quality, size, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of stunner

First recorded in 1840–50; stun + -er 1

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.

A stunner, to say the least, and another reminder that sports aren’t just unpredictable, but ruthless.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026

The Hoosiers are Big Ten supremes after a 13-10 stunner of No. 1 Ohio State in Saturday’s conference championship in Indianapolis.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

Netflix has four movies arriving during the awards season window — the meditative stunner “Train Dreams,” Katherine Bigelow’s riveting, ticking-clock thriller “A House of Dynamite,” the George Clooney meta-charmer “Jay Kelly” and “Frankenstein.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2025

While Garcia's long-distance stunner on 54 minutes was a rare Leverkusen highlight, PSG had the last words.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

It’s only there, in the midst of chaos, that I realize I forgot the stunner in the bathroom.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

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.