Question What does this "stun" mean?

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 21 Jul 2021

• #1

What does this "stun" mean?
Sweden stuns US 3-0 in women's soccer at Olympics

Does it mean "overwhelm"?

 

bentenmusume

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Fifteen-year veteran

12 Oct 2004

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• 22 Jul 2021

• #2

stun

(stʌn)
vb (tr) , stuns, stunning or stunned
1. to render unconscious, as by a heavy blow or fall
2. to shock or overwhelm
3. to surprise or astound

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In a sports sense, I would say the nuance is closer to "to shock, surprise or astound".

In other words, it's not so much about the overwhelming nature of the victory itself, so much as the fact that it is was a total surprise unexpected by the favored team (i.e. everyone, including the U.S. women's team themselves, expected that they would beat the less-heralded Swedish squad, but then the latter pulled off an amazing/surprising/shocking victory.)

 

hirashin

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8 Apr 2004

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• 22 Jul 2021

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• #3

I see. Thanks, bentenmusume san.

 

M

Michael2

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4 Jan 2018

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• 22 Jul 2021

• #4

I would agree, I think it also has the "knock unconscious" meaning though, obviously metaphorically though. One because they have "knocked out" the opponent but also because "stun" to mean surprise probably arises from the original "knock out" meaning.

 

hirashin

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• 25 Jul 2021

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• #5

Thanks, Michael2.