stunt

¹ American  

[stuhnt] / stʌnt /

verb (used with object)

1. to stop, slow down, or hinder the growth or development of; dwarf.

   A harsh climate stunted the trees.

   Brutal treatment in childhood stunted his personality.

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noun

1. a stop or hindrance in growth or development.

2. arrested development.

3. a plant or animal hindered from attaining its proper growth.

4. Plant Pathology. a disease of plants, characterized by a dwarfing or stunting of the plant.

stunt ² American  

[stuhnt] / stʌnt /

noun

1. a performance displaying a person's skill or dexterity, as in athletics; feat.

   an acrobatic stunt.

2. any remarkable feat performed chiefly to attract attention.

   The kidnapping was said to be a publicity stunt.

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verb (used without object)

1. to do a stunt or stunts.

2. Television Slang. to add specials, miniseries, etc., to a schedule of programs, especially so as to increase ratings.

verb (used with object)

1. to use in doing stunts.

   to stunt an airplane.

stunt ¹ British  

/ stʌnt /

noun

1. an acrobatic, dangerous, or spectacular action

2. an acrobatic or dangerous piece of action in a film or television programme

3. anything spectacular or unusual done to gain publicity

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verb

1. (intr) to perform a stunt or stunts

stunt ² British  

/ stʌnt /

verb

1. (tr) to prevent or impede the growth or development of (a plant, animal, etc)

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noun

1. the act or an instance of stunting

2. a person, animal, or plant that has been stunted

Other Word Forms

• stunted adjective
• stuntedness noun
• stuntingly adverb
• stunty adjective

Etymology

Origin of stunt¹

First recorded in 1575–85; verb use of dialect stunt “dwarfed, stubborn”; cognate with Middle High German stunz, Old Norse stuttr “short”; akin to stint ¹

Origin of stunt²

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95; origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of stump ( def. ) (in the sense “challenge; dare”)

Example Sentences

The elevator, one of the most defining technologies of the modern city, started with a stunt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

That is going to stunt potential software growth.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

The stunt took 40 hours to film, but the grueling effort paid off: It became his first viral video and helped launch him toward fame, Donaldson said recently on “The Tonight Show.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

He did learn how to do a backflip but is aware of his limitations, and is keen on shouting out his stunt double, Cameron Groep.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

It was more obvious than ever that this was never meant to be a silly stunt; the point here was never to make me look ugly or stupid.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi

Related Words

• antic
• feat
• sketch
• skit