English vocabulary · C1
Stunted
/ˈstʌntɪd/ · adj.
Stunted growth means something has not grown as much as it should. A lack of food, water, or light can keep it small and weak for a long time.
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Example sentences
- Poor soil left the trees stunted.
- We found stunted corn on the farm.
Word origin and roots
from English
- stunt — stop growth (from English)
Synonyms and nuances
- UNDERDEVELOPED — not fully grown (Not Fully Grown)
- UNDERSIZED — smaller than it should be (Too Small)
- DWARFED — kept much too small (Growth Held Back)
Similar words
- underdeveloped
- undersized
- dwarfed
- small
- diminished
Lesson notes
Stunted growth means something has not grown as much as it should. A lack of food, water, or light can keep it small and weak for a long time.
Related: underdeveloped, undersized, dwarfed. Use stunted when growth is held back.
Poor soil left the trees stunted. We found stunted corn on the farm.
From English. Stunt- means stop growth. Dry soil can stop growth and leave corn stunted.