stupefy
verb/ˈst(j)upəˌfaɪ/ · /ˈst͡ʃupəˌfaɪ/
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”).
1
Law Especially To dull the senses or capacity to think thereby reducing responsiveness; to stun.
- a stupefying drug; a stupefacient
- He stupefied her by means of chloroform, a general anaesthetic.
2
Broadly, Figuratively To astonish or stun, especially as a result of some distressing action.
- The police's negligence and callousness continued to stupefy her.
- 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:
3
Obsolete 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:
- Derived terms
- stupefaction, stupefied, stupefiedness, stupefier, stupefyingly
- Related terms
- stupe, stupendous, stupid, stupor