stunning
stunning — adjective
1. describes a person or thing that is so beautiful or attractive that the sight of
describes a person or thing that is so beautiful or attractive that the sight of it almost has the power to surprise or shock you — for example, a dress that makes everyone stop and stare, or a view that takes your breath away.
Paloma wore a stunning red dress to the wedding that turned everyone's head.
stunning + noun (attributive: stunning red dress)
The view from the mountaintop was absolutely stunning, with golden light spreading across the valley.
be + stunning after a linking verb
Ilan's garden is stunning in spring when all the cherry trees are in flower.
The hotel had a stunning swimming pool that seemed to float above the ocean.
In the wedding photos, Nala looked stunning in her white gown and matching cap.
- gorgeous
warmer, more informal — suggests rich, vibrant beauty often with colour or decoration
- striking
focuses on being unusual enough to grab attention, not necessarily traditionally beautiful
- breathtaking
emphasises the emotional reaction, as though the beauty leaves you breathless
文法句型
stunning + noun
be + stunning
用法筆記
Commonly used with intensifying adverbs such as absolutely, truly, and simply. The emphasis is on the surprising degree of beauty — a person described as stunning is not just pretty but strikingly attractive.
常見錯誤
2. so good, unusual, or unexpected that it surprises you in a powerful way — for ex
so good, unusual, or unexpected that it surprises you in a powerful way — for example, a sports result that no one predicted, a discovery that changes what people thought was true, or a performance far better than anyone expected.
The team's stunning victory in the final match surprised everyone in the stadium.
stunning + noun (stunning victory)
Reuben made a stunning discovery when he found ancient coins buried in his backyard.
The report contained stunning evidence that changed how the police viewed the case.
It was stunning to learn that the museum had been hiding those paintings for decades.
- astounding
slightly stronger — focuses on disbelief, as in 'astounding that it could be true'
- shocking
more negative — emphasises that the news is unpleasant or disturbing
- staggering
focuses on the scale or size of something surprising, like a staggering amount of money
- unremarkable
not worthy of attention
- unsurprising
expected and ordinary
文法句型
stunning + noun
be + stunning
it be stunning + to-infinitive
用法筆記
In this sense, stunning often describes unexpected news, results, or revelations — something that causes a mental 'jolt.' It can be positive (a stunning success) or negative (a stunning defeat). Distinguish from sense 1, where stunning describes visual beauty; in sense 2, the subject is typically an event, fact, or piece of information rather than a person's appearance.