stunt

UK: /ˈstʌnt/ US: /stʌnt/ ,(stunt)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

stunt¹ /stʌnt/   v. [~ + object]

1. Developmental Biology to slow down or prevent the growth of:
   The roses in the garden had been stunted by the frost.

stunt² /stʌnt/   n. [countable]

1. a performance displaying a person's skill or daring;
   a feat:
   performed some gymnastic stunts on the balance beam.
2. a feat performed to attract attention:
   a publicity stunt.
3. a performance of a dangerous-looking act for a scene in a movie:
   That actor does his own stunts: crashing through windows and hanging from the edges of buildings.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

stunt¹ (stunt),  v.t. 

1. Developmental Biology to stop, slow down, or hinder the growth or development of;
   dwarf:
   A harsh climate stunted the trees. Brutal treatment in childhood stunted his personality.

n. 

2. Developmental Biology a stop or hindrance in growth or development.
3. Developmental Biology arrested development.
4. Developmental Biology a plant or animal hindered from attaining its proper growth.
5. Plant Diseases a disease of plants, characterized by a dwarfing or stunting of the plant.

• 1575–85; verb, verbal use of dialect, dialectal stunt dwarfed, stubborn (Middle English; Old English: stupid); cognate with Middle High German stunz, Old Norse stuttr short; akin to stint¹

stunt′ing•ly, adv. 
stunt′y, adj. 

stunt² (stunt),  n. 

1. a performance displaying a person's skill or dexterity, as in athletics;
   feat:
   an acrobatic stunt.
2. any remarkable feat performed chiefly to attract attention:
   The kidnapping was said to be a publicity stunt.

v.i. 

3. to do a stunt or stunts.
4. Radio and Television, Show Business [Television Slang.] to add specials, miniseries, etc., to a schedule of programs, esp. so as to increase ratings.

v.t. 

5. to use in doing stunts:
   to stunt an airplane.

• origin, originally uncertain 1890–95, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

stunt / stʌnt/ verb

1. (transitive) to prevent or impede the growth or development of (a plant, animal, etc)

noun

1. the act or an instance of stunting
2. a person, animal, or plant that has been stunted

Etymology: 17th Century (as vb: to check the growth of): perhaps from C15 stont of short duration, from Old English stunt simple, foolish; sense probably influenced by Old Norse stuttr short in stature, dwarfed

ˈstunted adjective

ˈstuntedness noun

stunt / stʌnt/ noun

1. an acrobatic, dangerous, or spectacular action
2. an acrobatic or dangerous piece of action in a film or television programme
3. anything spectacular or unusual done to gain publicity

verb

1. (intransitive) to perform a stunt or stunts

Etymology: 19th Century: US student slang, of unknown origin