stupefy
Americanverb (used with object)
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to put into a state of little or no sensibility; benumb the faculties of; put into a stupor.
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to stun, as with a narcotic, a shock, or a strong emotion.
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to overwhelm with amazement; astound; astonish.
verb
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to render insensitive or lethargic
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to confuse or astound
Other Word Forms
- stupefiedness noun
- stupefier noun
- stupefying adjective
- stupefyingly adverb
- unstupefied adjective
Etymology
Origin of stupefy
1590–1600; < Middle French stupefier ≪ Latin stupefacere to benumb, equivalent to stupe-, stem of stupēre to be numb or stunned + facere to make, do 1; -fy
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.
They stupefy in equal measure, the Shchukin and Morozov collections, yet the two Vuitton Foundation shows have radically different tones in their final acts.
From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2021
He puts the yawn into stultify, the stupefy into catatonia, stone-facedly delivering the exact same chords, licks, and nasal delivery for over three decades over a backbeat that would have lost the Boer War.
From Salon • Jul. 11, 2012
These painted maps are images of power, designed to amaze and to stupefy.
From The Guardian • Apr. 23, 2010
So sequences like the old-school highlight in the fourth quarter Monday night stupefy the populace and become popular Vine clips.
From Washington Post
It is something so bright, loud, weird and delicate as to stupefy the senses.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
