stunt
pronunciation
How to pronounce stunt in British English:
UK [stʌnt]
How to pronounce stunt in American English:
US [stʌnt]
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- Noun:
- a difficult or unusual or dangerous feat; usually done to gain attention
- a creature (especially a whale) that has been prevented from attaining full growth
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- Verb:
- check the growth or development of
- perform a stunt or stunts
Word Origin
- stunt (v.)
- "check in growth, dwarf," 1650s, from verb uses of Middle English adjective stunnt "foolish," from Old English stunt "short-witted, foolish" (as in stuntspræc "foolish talk"), from Proto-Germanic *stuntaz (source of Old Norse stuttr "short"). Related: Stunted; stunting.
- stunt (n.)
- "feat to attract attention," 1878, American English college sports slang, of uncertain origin. Speculated to be a variant of colloquial stump "dare, challenge" (1871), or of German stunde, literally "hour." The movie stunt man is attested from 1930.
Example
- 1. The biggest stunt of late has been 3d .
- 2. It is easy to dismiss chimpom 's work as a publicity stunt .
- 3. But mr. appleton soon resumed stunt flights .
- 4. If the government rushes into austerity , cutting too much and too quickly , it could stunt economic recovery .
- 5. I have to ask : how did your wife feel about this little stunt ?