stupefy

[stoo-puh-fahy, styoo-]

verb (used with object)

stupefied, stupefying 

1. to put into a state of little or no sensibility; benumb the faculties of; put into a stupor.

2. to stun, as with a narcotic, a shock, or a strong emotion.

3. to overwhelm with amazement; astound; astonish.

stupefy

/ ˈstjuːpɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to render insensitive or lethargic

2. to confuse or astound

Other Word Forms

• stupefying adjective
• stupefier noun
• stupefyingly adverb
• stupefiedness noun
• unstupefied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupefy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupefy¹

C16: from Old French stupefier, from Latin stupefacere; see _stupefacient

Example Sentences

“Another Simple Favor” pushes the limits of mainstream filmmaking every chance it gets, in ways so cringeworthy and stupefying that it’s difficult not to, at the very least, respect Feig’s chutzpah.

From Salon

The attacks were raised at First Minister's Questions by Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw, who said the school community had been left "stupefied and distressed".

From BBC

But in North Macedonia on Tuesday night, when Wales bundled in an added-time equaliser after a conclusion of stupefying drama, that cool veneer disappeared in an instant.

From BBC

Mom’s brain had been a thing of beauty: the flights of fancy she could follow to utterly uncharted places were both stupefying and inspiring.

From Los Angeles Times

I suspect that only picking Georgia firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for Surgeon General would have been more stupefying.

From Salon

Related Words

• astound 
• bemuse 
• bewilder 
• flabbergast 
• nonplus