stultify

[ stuhl-tuh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, stul·ti·fied, stul·ti·fy·ing.

1. to render absurdly or wholly futile or ineffectual, especially by degrading or frustrating means:

   Must we stultify the progress of these reforms with yet more red tape?

   Synonyms: thwart, negate, impede, frustrate, dull, deaden, benumb

2. Law. to allege or prove (oneself or another person) to be of unsound mind.
3. Older Use. to make, or cause to appear, foolish or ridiculous.

verb (used without object)

, stul·ti·fied, stul·ti·fy·ing.

1. to become ineffectual or impaired, especially through frustrating, stifling, or deadening conditions:

   Without an environment of encouragement and creativity, the mind can stultify.

stultify

/ ˈstʌltɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to make useless, futile, or ineffectual, esp by routine
2. to cause to appear absurd or inconsistent
3. to prove (someone) to be of unsound mind and thus not legally responsible

Derived Forms

• ˈstultiˌfier, noun
• ˌstultifiˈcation, noun

Other Words From

• stul·ti·fi·ca·tion [stuhl-t, uh, -fi-, key, -sh, uh, n], noun
• stul·ti·fi·er noun
• stul·ti·fy·ing·ly adverb
• non·stul·ti·fi·ca·tion noun
• un·stul·ti·fied adjective
• un·stul·ti·fy·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stultify¹

First recorded in 1760–70; from Late Latin stultificāre, equivalent to Latin stult(us) “stupid” + -i- -i- + -ficāre -fy

Word History and Origins

Origin of stultify¹

C18: from Latin stultus stupid + facere to make

Example Sentences

Jess eventually realizes it, after a spree of endless nights spent binging on fun-fun-fun, the girls racing around the lawn in a psychedelics-induced stupor after their stultifying dinners with the men.

From Los Angeles Times

In Lebanon, the stultifying heat of summer is overlaid by a layer of anxiety.

From BBC

India has not shared in that transformation in large part because of a historical focus on self-sufficiency, a disdain for international trade and stultifying bureaucracy that has discouraged investment.

From New York Times

Students stultified by scripted curriculums and endless test prep.

From New York Times

He briefly enrolled at City College of New York to become an engineer, but after his time at war he found the academic routine unsettling and stultifying.

From New York Times

Related Words

• benumb
• deaden
• dull