Dictionary

stupefy en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈst͡ʃupəˌfaɪ/
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈst(j)upəˌfaɪ/

Etymology

From Middle French stupéfier, from Latin stupefaciō (“strike dumb, stun with amazement, stupefy”), from stupeō (“to be stunned, speechless”) (see English stupid, stupor) + faciō (“to do, make”).

Meanings

1. (especially, transitive) To dull the senses or capacity to think thereby reducing responsiveness; to stun.
   • He stupefied her by means of chloroform, a general anaesthetic.
   • a stupefying drug; a stupefacient
2. (broadly, figuratively, transitive) To astonish or stun, especially as a result of some distressing action.
   • What if I love you!—This misery / Of your dissatisfaction and misprision / Stupefies me. 1917, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “A Bad Beginning”, in Look! We Have Come Through!, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 77:
   • The police's negligence and callousness continued to stupefy her.
   • He also believed that idealism of any kind was a more or less disguised form of religion, which was invariably used by exploiters to delude and stupefy the masses. 1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 458:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To deprive a material of the ability to undergo change or movement, especially deformation.
   • The next is, when it is not malleable, but yet it is not fluent, but stupified^([sic]). 1631, Francis [Bacon], “IX. Century. [Articles of Enquiry.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, page 226:

Forms

Deriveds

stupefied · stupefiedness · stupefier · stupefyingly · stupefaction

Relateds

stupendous · stupid · stupor · stupe

Translations (52)

it stupefare (dull the senses or capacity to think) · es dejar estupefacto (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru ошеломи́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr abasourdir (dull the senses or capacity to think) · hy շշմեցնել (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ja 呆然とさせる (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru ошеломля́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it ingarbugliare (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru изуми́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · es atontar (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr abrutir (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fi tylsistää (dull the senses or capacity to think) · hy ապշեցնել (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr hébéter (dull the senses or capacity to think) · de betäuben (dull the senses or capacity to think) · la stupefaciō (dull the senses or capacity to think) · cmn 使驚訝 /使惊讶 (dull the senses or capacity to think) · es entorpecer (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru привести́ в изумле́ние (dull the senses or capacity to think) · bg зашеметявам (dull the senses or capacity to think) · tr şoke etmek (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru поража́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr estomaquer (dull the senses or capacity to think) · nl verdoven (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it confondere (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru приводи́ть в изумле́ние (dull the senses or capacity to think) · cmn 使驚奇 /使惊奇 (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it istupidire (dull the senses or capacity to think) · tr uyuşturmak (dull the senses or capacity to think) · nl verdwazen (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru изумля́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · tr afallatmak (dull the senses or capacity to think) · pl ogłuszać (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr sidérer (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it annebbiare (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr ahurir (dull the senses or capacity to think) · tr sersemletmek (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fr stupéfier (dull the senses or capacity to think) · bg притъпявам (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it abbrutire (dull the senses or capacity to think) · it sbalordire (dull the senses or capacity to think) · fi turruttaa (dull the senses or capacity to think) · nb sløve (dull the senses or capacity to think) · pl ogłuszyć (dull the senses or capacity to think) · pt estupeficar (dull the senses or capacity to think) · pt entorpecer (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ru порази́ть (dull the senses or capacity to think) · hu megdöbbent (dull the senses or capacity to think) · nb bedøve (dull the senses or capacity to think) · tr şaşırtmak (dull the senses or capacity to think) · ca sorprendre (dull the senses or capacity to think) · mi whakahinamoe (dull the senses or capacity to think)