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
The group has tried to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and concerned about extremist jihadis among the rebels. Albert Aji and Matthew Lee The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 14 Dec. 2024 The two were eventually separated by Packers staff and game officials, but the incident left the veteran head coach stunned. Paulina Dedaj, Fox News, 14 Dec. 2024 Moment Mom Discovers Who Dad Named Baby After: 'Should Have Known' By Jack Beresford Senior Life and Trends Reporter 0 A mom was stunned to discover the inspiration behind her husband's choice of name for their baby daughter. Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024 Obeid had planned to see Singh for his upcoming 40th birthday and was stunned to hear his friend died. Kyle Martin, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024 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 21 Dec. 2024.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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