stun

stun — verb

1. to affect someone with sudden, extreme surprise that makes them unable to speak

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to affect someone with sudden, extreme surprise that makes them unable to speak or react for a brief period; used when unexpected events overwhelm a person's ability to respond calmly.

Example

The news of the factory closure stunned the entire town.

be stunned by: passive pattern for reactions

Min was stunned by the elaborate surprise party her colleagues had prepared.

Common collocations
  • stunned silence
  • stunned disbelief
  • stunned by the news
  • stun into silence
Synonyms
  • astonish

    less intense than stun; suggests causing wonder rather than mental paralysis

  • shock

    more general; can be positive or negative, while stun leans toward negative or overwhelming surprise

  • dumbfound

    emphasises speechlessness; slightly less common in everyday use

  • stupefy

    strongest of the set; suggests making someone unable to think at all; formal register

Antonyms
  • prepare

    when you prepare someone, the news cannot stun them because they already expect it

Grammar Patterns

be stunned by/at [something]

it stuns [someone] to [do something]

stun [someone] into [noun/gerund]

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive form (be stunned by/at). The pattern 'stun someone into + noun/gerund' expresses a resulting state, e.g., stunned into silence, stunned into inaction.

Common Mistakes

I was stunned with his decision to quit.
I was stunned by his decision to quit.
the standard preposition after stunned in passive constructions is by or at, not with.
The joke stunned me so much I laughed.
The joke surprised me so much I laughed.
stun implies a stronger, often paralysing shock, not mild amusement.

2. to make a living being lose awareness or clear thought temporarily as a result o

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a living being lose awareness or clear thought temporarily as a result of a physical impact — such as a hit on the head, a fall, or an electric shock — that leaves them dazed or unconscious.

Example

A falling branch struck João on the head and stunned him for several seconds.

physical blow + temporal effect

The goalkeeper was stunned by a hard shot and had to leave the field.

passive + sports context

Common collocations
  • stun gun
  • stun by a blow
  • stunned by the impact
Synonyms
  • daze

    lighter effect; the person is confused but still conscious

  • knock out

    phrasal verb; more definitive — full loss of consciousness, often in sports or fighting

  • benumb

    formal and rare; refers to loss of sensation more than consciousness

Antonyms
  • revive

    to bring someone back to full consciousness after they have been stunned

Grammar Patterns

stun [someone/an animal] with/by [blow/weapon]

be stunned by [impact]

Usage Note

The object is almost always a living being. The blow can be literal (physical hit, fall, electric shock). For metaphorical dazing from noise or overload, sense 1 (SHOCK GREATLY) is more appropriate.

Common Mistakes

The loud music stunned me unconscious.
The loud music stunned me.' or 'The blow knocked me unconscious.
stun alone does not guarantee unconsciousness; it means dazed or disoriented.
I stunned my toe on the chair.
I stubbed my toe on the chair.
stun is restricted to living targets that can lose consciousness; a toe is not a sensible object.

stun — noun

Word family

  • stunned
    adjectiveB2
  • stunning
    adjectiveB2
  • stunningly
    adverbB2
  • stunner
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe a reaction to something unexpected, but they differ in intensity and flavour. Astonish leans toward wonder (an astonishing view) and is often positive, whereas stun implies a paralysing, often negative surprise. Shock is the broadest term — it fits physical, emotional, and electrical contexts equally well. Daze is lighter; it suggests confusion from a mild blow or overload of information, without the element of strong surprise. Stupefy is the most formal and extreme — it suggests a person is made incapable of any mental activity, like a drug effect. Dumbfound emphasises speechlessness specifically: you are so surprised you cannot find words. In everyday conversation, I was stunned by the news is common; I was dumbfounded is rarer but vivid. I was stupefied sounds literary or exaggerated.

astonishdazeshock ↗stupefydumbfound

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • stun gun
  • stun grenade
  • stun into silence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Stun entered English through Old French estoner, meaning 'to stun, daze, or shock.' That French word came from Latin *ex-* ('out of') + *tonare* ('to thunder') — literally 'to thunder-strike,' as if hit by a lightning bolt. In Modern French the word became étonner, which softened to mean 'to astonish' rather than 'to daze.' The physical 'knock unconscious' sense appeared in English around the 1300s, and the emotional 'shock' sense developed a few centuries later.