stupor

[ stoo-per, styoo- ]

noun

1. suspension or great diminution of sensibility, as in disease or as caused by narcotics, intoxicants, etc.:

   He lay there in a drunken stupor.

2. mental torpor; apathy; stupefaction.

   Synonyms: daze, lethargy, inertia

stupor

/ ˈstjuːpə /

noun

1. a state of unconsciousness
2. mental dullness; torpor

Derived Forms

• ˈstuporous, adjective

Other Words From

• stu·por·ous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupor¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin: “astonishment, insensibility,” equivalent to stup(ēre) “to be numb, to be stunned” + -or -or ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupor¹

C17: from Latin, from stupēre to be aghast

Example Sentences

About 1 in 150 people will experience more severe symptoms such as high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness and paralysis, according to the World Health Organization.

From Los Angeles Times

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

The first year she was nominated, “I was very much in a stupor, like, ‘What?’

From Los Angeles Times

Frequent drug users describe being high on fentanyl as a carefree, sometimes euphoric stupor, followed by a painful withdrawal — nausea, anxiety, sweat and flulike symptoms — that drives them to use again.

From New York Times

A hand clapped me on the shoulder to bring me back from my stupor.

From Literature

Related Words

• coma
• slumber
• trance