stunning en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From Middle English stunnyng, stunnynge, stounyng, equivalent to stun + -ing.
Meanings
-
Having an effect that stuns.
[W]e put off our burdens, and sat down rather dispirited, amidst a stunning noise made by the chirping of myriads of grasshoppers, and an abominable little creature that made a constant croaking "Caw, caw," producing a concert far from harmonious.
1859, Paul Betneys (pseud. [i.e. Thomas Nisbet]), chapter LIX, in The English Emigrants: or, Troubles on both Sides of the Atlantic, London: Horsell & Caudwell, page 299:The ſtunning ſtroke his ſtubborn nerves unbound;
1720, Homer, “Book XXI”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 233:The stunning jolt from the taser gun made the criminal stop fleeing.
At length a univerſal hubbub wild, Of ſtunning ſounds and voices all confus'd, Borne through the hollow dark, aſſaults his ear
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
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(informal) Exceptionally beautiful or attractive.
That woman is stunning!
The line along the Northumbrian coast to Berwick and into Scotland is stunning (even on a Voyager!), and the weather is perfect - just sit back, relax, and enjoy the motion picture that plays beyond the window.
2022 November 30, Paul Bigland, “Destination Oban: a Sunday in Scotland”, in RAIL, number 971, page 75:What if the very things you like in me now—you'd hate sometime. What if the things I think are strong and stunning in you now, I'd think were pig-headed and kickable after a while?
1923, Rachel Crothers, “Act III”, in Mary the Third[:] A Comedy in Prologue and Three Acts:
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(informal) Amazing; wonderfully good.
So it was against the run of play that their London rivals took the lead two minutes before the interval through Drogba. He rolled William Gallas inside the area before flashing a stunning finish high past keeper Carlo Cudicini.
2012 April 15, Phil McNulty, “Tottenham 1-5 Chelsea”, in BBC:The film was stunning.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more stunning | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most stunning | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
stunningly · stunningness · stunning and brave
Translations (68)
fi ihastuttava (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · ru оглушающий (having an effect that stuns) · he מהמם (having an effect that stuns) · es atronador (having an effect that stuns) · es adarvante (having an effect that stuns) · de umwerfend (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · es pasmante (having an effect that stuns) · pl zachwycający (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · fr ravissant (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · fi upea (amazing; wonderfully good) · es aturdiente (having an effect that stuns) · it impressionante (having an effect that stuns) · it straordinario (having an effect that stuns) · de hinreißend (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · it fantastico (amazing; wonderfully good) · fi tyrmäävä (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · ru поразительный (having an effect that stuns) · es deslumbrante (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · bg великолепен (amazing; wonderfully good) · pt impressionante (having an effect that stuns) · cs ohromující (having an effect that stuns) · es atonante (having an effect that stuns) · fi tyrmäävä (amazing; wonderfully good) · fi upea (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · de fantastisch (amazing; wonderfully good) · de herrlich (amazing; wonderfully good) · fi häkellyttävä (amazing; wonderfully good) · es aturdidor (having an effect that stuns) · he מהמם (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · cs nádherný (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · de überwältigend (amazing; wonderfully good) · fi häkellyttävä (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · es despampanante (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · cmn 極好 /极好 (amazing; wonderfully good) · it spettacolare (amazing; wonderfully good) · de betäubend (having an effect that stuns) · ja 異常に美しい (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · de atemberaubend (amazing; wonderfully good) · it splendida (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · it stupenda (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · ru ошеломляющий (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · ko 깜짝 놀랄 (having an effect that stuns) · sa वपुष (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · bg изумителен (having an effect that stuns) · cs okouzlující (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · fi tyrmäävä (having an effect that stuns) · it splendido (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · ru сногсшибающий (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · de toll (amazing; wonderfully good) · de beeindruckend (amazing; wonderfully good) · cmn 豔美絕俗 /艳美绝俗 (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · fi häkellyttävä (having an effect that stuns) · es anonadador (having an effect that stuns) · es atronante (having an effect that stuns) · cmn 驚豔 /惊艳 (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · cs omračující (having an effect that stuns) · fr magnifique (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · bg зашеметяващ (having an effect that stuns) · cmn 強烈的 /强烈的 (having an effect that stuns) · ko 경탄할 만한 (having an effect that stuns) · de atemberaubend (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · es despampanante (having an effect that stuns) · cs ochromující (having an effect that stuns) · it stupendo (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · cmn 棒極了 /棒极了 (amazing; wonderfully good) · es anonadante (having an effect that stuns) · de betörend (exceptionally beautiful or attractive) · de verblüffend (amazing; wonderfully good)