stunning
Americanadjective
-
causing, capable of causing, or liable to cause astonishment, bewilderment, or a loss of consciousness or strength.
a stunning blow.
- Synonyms:
- astounding, numbing
-
of striking beauty or excellence.
What a stunning dress you're wearing!
adjective
Usage
What does stunning mean? Stunning essentially means something or someone causes such a huge impact that you are stunned from pain or a wave of emotion.Stunning can describe something or someone that literally causes physical pain, as in The kickboxer suffered a stunning blow to her face. Stunning is also used figuratively to describe something or someone that overwhelms you emotionally or has the potential to overwhelm you emotionally, as in The acrobats performed a stunning routine of flips and cartwheels. Finally, stunning can also describe something or someone that is especially beautiful or marvelous, as in The actress wore a stunning dress to the red carpet. You might also use dazzling or gorgeous.Example: In a stunning act of arrogance, the dictator built a solid gold statue of himself and placed it in the city square.
Other Word Forms
- stunningly adverb
Etymology
Origin of stunning
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Welshman was in stunning form throughout the evening, averaging 105.84 to beat Van Veen 6-2 in the final and move up to second in the table with his second nightly win of the campaign.
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Japanese locals and tourists packed the country's most stunning cherry blossom spots on Monday to enjoy the dazzling flowers at full bloom.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
In which we explore whether or not UConn’s stunning victory was a cosmic comeuppance.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
That stunning play in the bottom of the ninth inning didn’t just save Game 7 of the World Series, it also spared Pages’ reputation.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Not only had she heard it meowing in the dark, but she also saw it make an absolutely stunning leap early one morning.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
