verb
stun
stuhn
verb
1
To knock someone senseless or make them lose awareness, often with a blow or shock.
"The blow to the head stunned him for a moment."
"The taser is designed to stun, not kill."
2
To shock or amaze someone.
"The news of her resignation stunned the whole office."
How to Use Stun
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo knock senseless, or to shock someone with surprise.
Common pairings
stun gun
stunned into silence
stun someone
Word Forms
stunned past tense, stuns plural, stuns singular
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The taser is designed to _____, not kill.
Etymology
From Middle English stonen ("to astonish, numb"), likely via Anglo-Norman estoner, from a Latin root meaning "to thunder" — the same family as astonish and astound.