real stunner
- noun
- Informal
- Hillary, as a champion of human rights, is a real stunner, and the health care link is silly to me given this great analysis Letsgetitdone brought us recently.
Examples
-
"Every now and again, a real stunner comes along, and for now, the title of best musical on the fringe has to go to Sweet Smell of Success.
Blog text (2) -
Fifteen years ago, she must have been a real stunner.
Fiction book (1999) -
The last election in California was a real stunner for those who are careful with their own pocketbooks.
Blog text (7) -
A real stunner anyway.
-
That's a real stunner.
Fiction book (1991) -
"That was a real stunner—for a moment, Max didn't know what to say."
Fiction book (1995) -
When she walked into the room, everyone paused to admire her; she was a real stunner.
-
The new sports car he bought is a real stunner with its sleek design and impressive performance.
-
In her stunning red gown, she was undeniably a real stunner at the gala.
Synonyms
A very attractive person, often a woman who gets attention
A very attractive woman who people notice
A person or thing that looks very attractive and makes people turn to look
Something very impressive that causes great surprise
A thing that looks very impressive and gets a lot of attention
Something very impressive that makes people feel surprised
Antonyms
How Impressive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase straightforwardly combines the intensifier 'real' (very) with 'stunner' (someone or something that astonishes), so the sense 'exceptionally attractive or impressive' is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional intensifier+noun pattern is common across languages and, despite its colloquial register, a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Real stunner comes from the word stun, which once meant to be knocked out or very shocked. If something is a real stunner, it 'amazes' or 'impresses' you so much it feels like it stops you, so the phrase means 'very attractive or impressive'.