Meaning & use
stupefying
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“stupefying” is a form of “stupefy”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
So boring or repetitive that it leaves you mentally dull and unable to think.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: a stupefying lecture.
Patterns
- stupefying boredom
- a stupefying amount of something
The lecture was stupefying and half the room dozed off.
Hours of stupefying paperwork drained her energy.
He endured a stupefying journey on a slow train.
adjectivecomparable
So shocking or enormous that it leaves you stunned and speechless.
Grammar: Used about amazing or horrifying things: a stupefying sum.
Patterns
- a stupefying amount
The sheer size of the debt was stupefying.
They paid a stupefying sum for the painting.
A stupefying silence followed the announcement.
verbtransitive
Present participle of stupefy, meaning to leave someone unable to think clearly through shock, boredom or drugs.
Grammar: Takes an object: stupefying the audience.
Patterns
- stupefy someone with something
The heat was stupefying the crowd.
Endless numbers stupefying her brain made her yawn.
The drug was stupefying the patient.
Word forms
| base form | stupefy |
|---|---|
| third person singular | stupefies |
| past tense | stupefied |
| -ing form | stupefying |
Common combinations
- stupefying boredom
- We sat through stupefying boredom.
- stupefying amount
- A stupefying amount of mail arrived.
- stupefying heat
- The stupefying heat slowed everyone.
- stupefying silence
- A stupefying silence filled the hall.
Synonyms and how they differ
- numbing
- Numbing is plainer and suggests loss of feeling, while stupefying stresses loss of thought.
- mind-boggling
- Mind-boggling is informal and always about astonishment, not boredom.
- deadening
- Deadening suggests draining life or interest, but not shock.
Opposites
Word family
- stupefy verb
- to leave someone dazed
- stupefaction noun
- a state of being dazed
- stupefied adjective
- dazed
- stupor noun
- a dazed or half-conscious state
Commonly confused: stupefying or stupid?
stupefying vs stupid
Stupid means lacking intelligence, while stupefying means dulling or stunning the mind.
Practice
After eight hours of ___ data entry, she could hardly remember her own name.
Choose one answer.
Stupefying means so dull it numbs the mind. The other options all describe positive, energizing experiences.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stupefying”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.