Standard Lemma guide

stupefy

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈst(j)upəˌfaɪ/
  • /ˈst͡ʃupəˌfaɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To dull the senses or capacity to think thereby reducing responsiveness; to stun.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially, transitive

Topics: law

Examples

  • a stupefying drug; a stupefacient
  • He stupefied her by means of chloroform, a general anaesthetic.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To astonish or stun, especially as a result of some distressing action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively, transitive

Examples

  • The police's negligence and callousness continued to stupefy her.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To deprive a material of the ability to undergo change or movement, especially deformation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • stun fish

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stun

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: immobilize, immobilise

5

verb

Meaning 5

be a mystery or bewildering to

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This beats me!
  • Got me--I don't know the answer!
  • a vexing problem
  • This question really stuck me

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle, mystify, baffle, beat, pose, bewilder, flummox, nonplus, gravel, amaze, dumbfound

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: confuse, throw, fox, befuddle, fuddle, bedevil, confound, discombobulate

Narrower terms: stump, mix up, riddle, elude, escape

6

verb

Meaning 6

make dull or stupid or muddle with drunkenness or infatuation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: besot

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: desensitize, desensitise

History

Etymology

From Middle French stupéfier, from Latin stupefaciō (“strike dumb, stun with amazement, stupefy”), from stupeō (“to be stunned, speechless”) (see English stupid, stupor) + faciō (“to do, make”).

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ապշեցնել (apšecʻnel) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Armenian: շշմեցնել (ššmecʻnel) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Bulgarian: притъпявам (pritǎpjavam) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Bulgarian: зашеметявам (zašemetjavam) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Catalan: sorprendre — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使驚奇 /使惊奇 (shǐ jīngqí) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Chinese Mandarin: 使驚訝 /使惊讶 (shǐ jīngyà) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Dutch: verdoven — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Dutch: verdwazen — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Finnish: turruttaa — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Finnish: tylsistää — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: stupéfier — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: abrutir — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: hébéter — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: sidérer — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: abasourdir — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: ahurir — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • French: estomaquer — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • German: betäuben — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Hungarian: megdöbbent — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: stupefare — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: abbrutire — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: sbalordire — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: confondere — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: ingarbugliare — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: annebbiare — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Italian: istupidire — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Japanese: 呆然とさせる (bōzen to saseru) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Latin: stupefaciō — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Māori: whakahinamoe — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Norwegian Bokmål: bedøve — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sløve — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Polish: ogłuszać — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Polish: ogłuszyć — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Portuguese: entorpecer — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Portuguese: estupeficar — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: изумля́ть (izumljátʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: изуми́ть (izumítʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: поража́ть (poražátʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: порази́ть (porazítʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: ошеломля́ть (ošelomljátʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: ошеломи́ть (ošelomítʹ) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: приводи́ть в изумле́ние (privodítʹ v izumlénije) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Russian: привести́ в изумле́ние (privestí v izumlénije) — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: pasmar — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: entorpecer — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: embotar — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: estupefacer — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: estupefaccionar — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: atontar — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Spanish: aturdir — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Turkish: afallatmak — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Turkish: sersemletmek — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Turkish: şaşırtmak — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Turkish: şoke etmek — dull the senses or capacity to think
  • Turkish: uyuşturmak — dull the senses or capacity to think