to stun

Examples

• All

• A towering knight riding an emerald steed burst into the room, stunning the court into silence.

• I'll stun him with a beanbag gun, net him, and give him a shot.

  Fiction book (2001)

• Maybe we can stun him.

  Swamp Thing (1982)

• You still got one good leg, now tell me something useful before I stun the other one.

  Edge of Extinction (2020)

• Or I just let them walk into my traps and stun them.

  Blog text (6)

• Apparently the young woman had been struck by a dull instrument with sufficient force to stun her.

  A Place in the Sun (1951)

• Security had to stun one of them, and the other is under restraints.

  Fiction book (1992)

• You can stun anybody who has a gun, take 'em outta commission, and then we kick their asses.

  Orgazmo (1998)

• Vlad elbows Marshall in the neck, stunning him momentarily.

  Fiction book (1997)

• The loud explosion stunned everyone in the crowd, leaving them momentarily speechless.

Synonyms

K

to knock out

vsto stun

• NSFW

210 4.3

To make someone unconscious by a hit, illness, or being very tired

is usually a daze or brief senselessness rather than full unconsciousness

I

to incapacitate

vsto stun

46 7.5

To make a person or thing not able to do normal activities

is narrower, meaning brief daze or temporary unconsciousness rather than long disability

K

knocked out

vsto stun

29 4.6

Not awake after a strong hit to the head

can instead mean dazed or briefly senseless without full unconsciousness

S

to stupefy

vsto stun

9 7.9

To make someone unable to think or react after a very strong shock

focuses more on physical senselessness rather than primarily mental numbness

K

knocked out cold

vsto stun

• Informal

2 7.2

Completely unconscious after a hard hit to the head

is often less than complete loss of consciousness and can be temporary

K

to knock flat

vsto stun

1 7.4

To surprise someone very much so they cannot react

tends to be physical daze from a blow or shock rather than pure surprise

D

to deave

vsto stun

• Archaic

9.9

Make someone unable to hear because of very loud or repeated noise

is broader, covering blows or shocks as well as loud noise effects

Antonyms

A

to awaken

73 1.8

To stop sleeping or make someone else wake up

R

to revive

71 4.1

To make a person conscious again after fainting

Idioms

O

on stun

• Specialized

3 9.1

Set so a device makes a person unable to move without serious harm

Compounds

S

stun gun

24 5.0

A small device that gives a short electric shock to stop a person moving for a short time

S

stun baton

1 8.2

A long stick that gives a short electric shock to stop someone temporarily

How Dazed

to knock out

• NSFW

210 4.3

to stun

11 4.0

to daze

2 4.3

to shock

202 2.1

to startle

131 3.7

Surface Forms

Etymology