stupefaction

/ˌstjuːpɪˈfækʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌstuːpɪˈfækʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌstü-pə-ˈfak-shən ˌstyü-/ (ame, mw)

stupefaction — 名詞

1. a state in which your mind feels slow and confused, making it hard to concentrat

1.名詞C2
釋義

恍惚；呆滯

因疲累或藥物導致的思緒遲緩

a state in which your mind feels slow and confused, making it hard to concentrate or think clearly — often caused by extreme tiredness, boredom, or the effects of drugs or medication.

例句

After twelve hours of data entry, a thick stupefaction settled over Keiko's mind.

做了十二小時的資料輸入後，一陣強烈的恍惚感籠罩了 Keiko 的心智。

collocation: 'thick stupefaction' — adjective intensifying the state

The students sat in bored stupefaction throughout the three-hour lecture on tax law.

學生們在長達三小時的稅法講座中呆滯地坐著。

prepositional phrase: 'in bored stupefaction'

同義詞
  • stupor

    a deeper, more physical loss of consciousness or awareness, often from alcohol or drugs

  • daze

    a shorter, milder confusion, often after a shock or blow; less intense than stupefaction

  • lethargy

    physical sluggishness and lack of energy, with less emphasis on mental confusion

  • torpor

    a longer-term inactivity of mind and body, often used in biology for hibernation-like states

反義詞
  • alertness

    full mental sharpness and ability to concentrate

  • clarity

    a clear, focused state of mind, opposite of confusion

文法句型

a state/feeling of stupefaction

in stupefaction (adverbial)

with stupefaction

用法筆記

Frequently used with prepositions 'in' or 'into' to describe the resulting state. The adjective 'complete', 'total', or 'thick' commonly precedes the noun to intensify the meaning.

常見錯誤

❌I felt a stupefaction after the long flight.
✅I fell into a state of stupefaction after the long flight.
💡'Stupefaction' is not a direct emotion like 'tiredness'; it describes a mental state, so use 'a state of stupefaction' or 'in stupefaction'.
❌The boring class gave me stupefaction.
✅The boring class left the students in a state of stupefaction.
💡The verb 'give' does not collocate naturally with 'stupefaction'. Use 'leave someone in' or 'fall into'.

2. an overwhelming feeling of shock or surprise, so strong that you cannot speak or

2.名詞C2
釋義

驚愕；震驚

極度驚訝以致無法思考的狀態

an overwhelming feeling of shock or surprise, so strong that you cannot speak or think clearly for a moment — for example, when you see something impossible happen or hear news that changes everything you believed.

例句

The staff stared in stupefaction as their boss announced she was retiring and handing the company to them.

員工們驚愕地盯著老闆，因為她宣布退休，要把公司交給他們。

pattern: 'stare in stupefaction (as/at)' — mundane trigger of shock

To the board's stupefaction, the CEO announced she was leaving to join a charity in rural Kenya.

令董事會震驚的是，執行長宣布她將離職，加入肯亞鄉村的一家慈善機構。

structure: 'to [someone's] stupefaction' — expressing the reaction of a group

同義詞
  • astonishment

    great surprise that is less overwhelming than stupefaction; implies wonder rather than confusion

  • amazement

    surprise mixed with admiration; more positive than stupefaction

  • shock

    a sudden, often unpleasant surprise; wider register and more common in everyday use

  • bewilderment

    confusion caused by something puzzling; less intense than stupefaction

反義詞
  • composure

    calm control over one's feelings, the opposite of being stunned

  • indifference

    lack of interest or emotional reaction

文法句型

to someone's stupefaction

in stupefaction

with stupefaction

stupefaction at/that

用法筆記

The phrasing 'to someone's stupefaction' is a common introductory adverbial that sets up a surprising outcome. This sense is distinguished from sense 1 by the emotional quality (surprise versus dullness) and by the typical trigger (unexpected event versus tiredness or drugs).

常見錯誤

❌I was in stupefaction when I saw my friend.
✅I was in stupefaction when I saw my long-lost brother walk through the door.
💡The trigger needs to be genuinely shocking or surprising, not a casual event.
❌He looked at her in stupefaction and said hello.
✅He looked at her in stupefaction, unable to form a single word.
💡'Stupefaction' implies the shock is strong enough to temporarily stop speech or clear thought.

3. the process or act of making someone or something mentally slow, dull, or unable

3.名詞C2
釋義

麻木化；遲鈍化

使心智遲緩或失去反應能力的過程

the process or act of making someone or something mentally slow, dull, or unable to react — either deliberately, through drugs or sedation, or as a gradual effect of a mind-numbing environment or routine.

例句

The heavy sedative caused a rapid stupefaction of the patient within minutes of the injection.

注射後幾分鐘內，強效鎮靜劑便導致病人迅速麻木。

pattern: 'stupefaction of [object]'

Child development experts warned that hours of mindless reality shows were leading to the stupefaction of thousands of young viewers across the country.

兒童發展專家警告，長時間觀看無腦的真人秀節目正導致全國成千上萬的年輕觀眾心智麻木。

collocation: 'lead to the stupefaction of' — causative structure

同義詞
  • numbing

    a more common term for dulling physical or emotional sensation

  • deadening

    stressing the complete loss of feeling or responsiveness

  • benumbing

    a literary/formal synonym emphasizing the loss of the ability to feel or move

反義詞
  • stimulation

    the activation of mental or physical alertness

  • invigoration

    the process of filling with energy and sharpness

文法句型

the stupefaction of [object]

[possessive] stupefaction of [object]

用法筆記

This sense describes an active process (the act of making dull) rather than a resulting state. It is rare and most commonly found in formal writing about medicine, sociology, or philosophy. The object is typically introduced with 'of' (e.g., 'the stupefaction of the public').

常見錯誤

❌The teacher's stupefaction of the students was intentional.
✅The monotonous drills led to a gradual stupefaction of the students' minds.
💡This sense describes a gradual process or result, not a deliberate action someone performs on another person.