stupefy

verb

stu·​pe·​fy ˈstü-pə-ˌfī How to pronounce stupefy (audio)
ˈstyü-
stupefied; stupefying

transitive verb

1
: to make stupid, groggy, or insensible
2
stupefyingly adverb

Examples of stupefy in a Sentence

stupefied by the ruling that he could not compete because he missed the qualifying age by two days
Recent Examples on the Web Clutter offers an antidote to the stupefying standardisation of so much of modern life. Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 11 Oct. 2024 That would have been enough against a group of Giants hitters that was stupefied by Webb’s opponent, Dylan Cease, but Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts teamed up to tack on one more before the first was over, and the unearned run in the fourth made it 4-0. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2024 Away from the stage, guests at the three-day event were entertained by a dinnertime appearance by tennis legend Andy Murray (who is, by his own admission, already turning into a monster golfer in his retirement) and magician Dynamo, whose close-hand tricks are truly stupefying to witness. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024 Eventually, our future mogul will be sitting on a stupefying fortune, all held in a USA, and all entirely exempt from income tax. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stupefy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stupefy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English stupifien, modification of Latin stupefacere, from stupēre to be astonished + facere to make, do — more at do

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stupefy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near stupefy

Cite this Entry

“Stupefy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stupefy. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

stupefy

verb
stu·​pe·​fy ˈst(y)ü-pə-ˌfī How to pronounce stupefy (audio)
stupefied; stupefying
1
: astonish, bewilder
the strange sight stupefied the crowd
2
: to make stupid, groggy, or numb
stupefied by the huge meal

Medical Definition

stupefy

transitive verb
stu·​pe·​fy ˈst(y)ü-pə-ˌfī How to pronounce stupefy (audio)
stupefied; stupefying
: to make stupid, groggy, or insensible
stupefied by anesthesia

More from Merriam-Webster on stupefy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!