stun

1 of 2

verb

ˈstən 

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

Synonyms of stun

Verb

• daze
• paralyze
• rock
• hit

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

Verb

But after circling a few times, the shark spat out the bait, leaving fishermen on the pier stunned. — Jasmine Mendez follow, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026

At a small celebration dinner in San Francisco after the deal closed, Basu Trivedi was stunned by their choice of lodging. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Sabrina Carpenter stunned in a pantsless look at the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 2026

As the video gained traction, commenters were stunned by how much the flowers cost. — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026

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

Phrases Containing stun

• stun grenade
• stun gun

Rhymes for stun

• bun
• done
• dun
• fun
• gun
• hun
• jun
• none
• nun
• one
• pun
• run

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

ˈstən 

stunned; stunning

: to make senseless, groggy, or dizzy by or as if by a blow