STUNNING Synonyms: 314 Similar and Opposite Words

stunning 1 of 2

adjective

ˈstə-niŋ

Definition of stunning

as in amazing

causing a strong emotional reaction because of unexpectedness we suffered a stunning defeat at the hands of the bottom-ranked team in the division

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in wonderful

causing wonder or astonishment the stunning beauty of the star-filled sky on a cloudless night

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in beautiful

very pleasing to look at how stunning the performers look in their costumes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stunning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stun

as in dazing

to make senseless or dizzy by a blow a powerful uppercut to the jaw stunned the boxer and sent him crashing to the canvas

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in surprising

to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected the news of their boss's termination stunned the staff

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of stunning

Adjective

And then general manager Les Snead pulled off another stunning deal for defensive end Myles Garrett, a two-time NFL defensive player of the year. — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Fenix, at one point countered an avalanche Mexican destroyer attempt, stunning Penta and turning it around into a Mexican muscle buster. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Verb

Footage of the fight shared online showed Williams punching Colón in the back of the head in the seventh round, apparently stunning him. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Margaret deploys this power to find Daniel and to free him from Noah and the WARDEX minions—essentially, by stunning them emotionally. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stunning

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stunning

Adjective

Travis Hunter is an incredibly talented young player who did amazing things in college.

— Gary Davenport, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
The sale offers amazing discounts across thousands of products, including my personal favorite category, toys.

— Anja Webb, Parents, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of amazing

Adjective

The nicest of the quartet, Springfield features a large clubhouse, a beautiful practice area with an oversized putting green and a challenging 6,906-yard course that is hilly, woody and will ask you to hit lots of precise shots.

— Langston Wertz Jr, Charlotte Observer, 6 Sep. 2026
Forests that avoid the worst fire and drought impacts should still offer beautiful color, but the viewing window may be shorter.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of beautiful

Verb

Human beings have an inconvenient habit of surprising us, and sometimes that surprise is the finding that matters most.

— Rebecca Brooks, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
What went down Dickens shared a video of himself surprising the Nature Gurlz, a beloved group of women who meet up weekday mornings to bask in the great outdoors.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of surprising

Adjective

Still, nothing in the war has seemed as startling or as consequential as their breakneck assault last week, which centered on the capture of Mokha, a major port city on the Red Sea, and Perim, a tiny island at the southern entrance to the waterway.

— Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
Back then the age of discovery was at its peak, and startling new information about what had previously been a very parochial planet was flooding into the academies of Europe and the Americas.

— Ian Tattersall, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of startling

Adjective

The astonishing social movements of the decade—particularly the black freedom struggle and the antiwar movement—could have produced a more durable sense of solidarity and collective possibilities.

— Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
One of the best actors working today, Coon essentially plays two different sides of Rita with astonishing range across these chronologies, portraying the past and the present of her character through distinctive markers.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of astonishing

Browse Nearby Words

stunners

stunning

stunningly

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Style

“Stunning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stunning. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stunning

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

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