stupefy
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put into a state of little or no sensibility; benumb the faculties of; put into a stupor.
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to stun, as with a narcotic, a shock, or a strong emotion.
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to overwhelm with amazement; astound; astonish.
verb
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to render insensitive or lethargic
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to confuse or astound
Other Word Forms
- stupefiedness noun
- stupefier noun
- stupefying adjective
- stupefyingly adverb
- unstupefied adjective
Etymology
Origin of stupefy
1590–1600; < Middle French stupefier ≪ Latin stupefacere to benumb, equivalent to stupe-, stem of stupēre to be numb or stunned + facere to make, do 1; -fy
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.
It was a sad sight, then comical, then stupefying.
From Salon
When the 55-year-old New Jersey chiropractor looks at his current balance, he is stupefied.
They could have tried to streamline the stupefying volume of documentation that many Social Security beneficiaries have to provide.
From Salon
“Another Simple Favor” pushes the limits of mainstream filmmaking every chance it gets, in ways so cringeworthy and stupefying that it’s difficult not to, at the very least, respect Feig’s chutzpah.
From Salon
The attacks were raised at First Minister's Questions by Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw, who said the school community had been left "stupefied and distressed".
From BBC
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.
