stun

1 of 2

verb

stunned; stunning

transitive verb

1
: to make senseless, groggy, or dizzy by or as if by a blow : daze
2
: to shock with noise
3
: to overcome especially with paralyzing astonishment or disbelief

stun

2 of 2

noun

: the effect of something that stuns : shock

Examples of stun in a Sentence

Verb The angry criticism stunned them. His old friends were stunned at his success. She sat in stunned disbelief. There was a stunned expression on her face. weapons that can stun people temporarily
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Legal Challenges Image Legal scholars and immigration advocates said on Tuesday that they were stunned by the breadth of the order. Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025 Director Mohammad Rasoulof tracks social and moral collapse with the kind of unnerving calm and visual precision that made the Iranian New Wave so striking when Abbas Kiarostami’s Through the Olive Trees and Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s A Moment of Innocence first stunned the film world in the 1990s. Armond White, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025 Coco Gauff stunned by Paula Badosa at the Australian Open The American tennis star was knocked out of the Australian Open after Paula Badosa of Spain served up some serious competition. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 21 Jan. 2025 On a national level, Lamont said he was stunned by a first-day executive order Monday by Republican President Donald J. Trump. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for stun 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English stonen, stunen, from Anglo-French estoner — more at astonish

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1727, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stun was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near stun

Cite this Entry

“Stun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stun. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

stun

verb
ˈstən
stunned; stunning
1
: to make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow
2
: to overcome with astonishment or disbelief
stunned by the news
stun noun

Medical Definition

stun

transitive verb
stunned; stunning
: to make senseless, groggy, or dizzy by or as if by a blow

More from Merriam-Webster on stun

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