stunted
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stunted
Explanation
If something is stunted, it's been prevented from growing or developing to its full potential. After a hot, dry summer, there's nothing left in your vegetable garden but a few stunted tomato plants. Stunted things are scrawny, like the tiny runt in a litter of puppies. A lack of sun in your yard will result in stunted roses and daisies, and malnourishment can lead to stunted growth in humans. People can also be emotionally stunted if they aren't nurtured and encouraged to express their feelings. Stunted comes from the verb stunt, "prevent from growing or developing properly."
Vocabulary lists containing stunted
A Long Walk to Water
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Island of the Blue Dolphins
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The Sea of Monsters
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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.
Despite recent success budget constraints remain, not least in the wake of successive broadcast deal collapses which have financially stunted French football.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The economy was stunted by abnormally severe winter weather, for one thing.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026
If these challenges persist—or spread to other countries— the global economy could be in for a period of higher inflation and stunted growth.
From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026
Matthew Patrick Davis accentuates with a wink the callowness of Joseph II, an emperor who perhaps sees in Mozart a reflection of his own stunted nature.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
There was a large rock on that headland and two stunted trees.
From "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell
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.
