to be stumped
15
6.4
- phrasal verb
- /bi stʌmpt/
- Informal
:
quedarse perplejo
- When faced with the tricky math problem, I was completely stumped and couldn't find the solution.
And the men are stumped because as men we are taught to be providers.
- And the men are stumped because as men we are taught to be providers.
- But it's, but I the reason that I was stumped by this question is that I'm wary of the brain argument.
Examples
-
The detective was stumped after examining the clues; he needed a fresh perspective.
-
The investigators were stumped.
-
And they are stumped because we never actually thought about what our rich life is.
-
No need to be stumped ever again.
-
Most likely, we often get stumped.
Academic text (2017) -
When it came time to actually write my entry, however, I was stumped.
Blog text (14) -
Robin is stumped for a second, confused by the words.
Fiction book (2001) -
The map looked good, but the archaeologists were stumped.
Academic text (2002) -
It's not often that I get stumped by a question, but we've got two good ones this week.
Blog text (9) -
For years, scientists were stumped by the mystery of whale migration.
Synonyms
692
1.3
Not able to think clearly or understand what is happening
294
3.5
Not able to understand or find a solution
31
3.0
Unable to understand something because you feel confused
28
4.2
Not knowing what to do or say
7
5.4
Confused and not in clear order so hard to understand
7
5.1
Feeling confused because you do not understand something
7
4.6
Very surprised and unable to speak
3
6.7
Unable to understand what is happening
3
8.9
Very surprised and confused so you do not know what to say or do
1
5.9
Not able to understand what is happening and feeling puzzled
1
5.3
Feeling confused and not knowing what is happening or what to do
Feeling confused when you cannot understand something
Feeling very confused and not able to understand something unexpected
Confused and unable to think clearly
Confused and not sure what to do
Antonyms
How Confused
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to be unable to think of an answer' is directly derived from combining 'be' (to be in a state) with 'stump' (to leave someone unable to answer); the phrase expresses a resultant state (passive/resultative). This compositional pattern is common and predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Be stumped may come from the image of a person facing a tree stump that blocks their path so they cannot move forward. That's why it means 'to be unable to think of an answer'.