étourdir

to stun

verb eh-toor-DEER Rare

Also means

to daze

Usage Note

Étourdir describes causing someone to lose their senses temporarily — whether from a blow (le choc l'a étourdi, the blow stunned him), noise (ce bruit m'étourdit, this noise is making me dizzy), or an overwhelming experience. The reflexive s'étourdir means to lose oneself in distraction. The adjective étourdi means 'scatterbrained' or 'thoughtless', a related but distinct sense.

Examples

"Le coup l'a étourdi pendant quelques secondes."

Natural Translation

The blow stunned him for a few seconds.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Faire in French: To Make, To Do, and More

Faire in French means more than make and do: master faire vs rendre, weather and sports idioms, the causative, and the mistakes English speakers make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Passé Composé vs Imparfait: When to Use Each

Passé composé tells the story; imparfait paints the scene. Use this 2-second flowchart, trigger words, and paired examples to pick the right French tense.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read