stultify
gb/stˈʌltəfˌaɪ/ us/stˈʌltəfˌaɪ/
C1
Inglés
eltompít, kiöl valakiből valamit, megbénít, gátol, nevetségessé tesz, hiteltelenné tesz
VERBO
C1
FORMAL
1
Patrón de uso:
stultify [someone] / stultify [someone]'s mind
The repetitive paperwork began to stultify her, and she stopped suggesting new ideas.
Az ismétlődő papírmunka kezdte eltompítani, és egy idő után már nem állt elő új ötletekkel.
He left the company because the culture stultified curiosity and experimentation.
Azért hagyta ott a céget, mert a vállalati kultúra kiölte a kíváncsiságot és a kísérletezőkedvet.
Too much screen time can stultify a child’s imagination if there’s no balance.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
The long meetings stultify me.
A hosszú értekezletek eltompítanak.
This routine makes me feel stultified.
Ettől a rutintól eltompultnak érzem magam.
Error frecuente:
Learners often use it as a general synonym of “insult”; in modern use it more commonly means “make dull/boring,” especially in phrases like “a stultifying job.”
Significado
make boring and unstimulating
Colocaciones
a stultifying job
|a stultifying routine
|stultify the mind
|stultify creativity
|stultify imagination
|mentally stultifying
|stultifying boredom
|stultifyingly dull
Sinónimos
bore (More common and neutral; less formal than stultify.)
|
deadening (Emphasizes numbing or draining feeling.)
|
numb (Focuses on loss of feeling/alertness rather than interest.)
|
dull (Can mean make less interesting; broader and more everyday.)
Antónimos
stimulate (Means to energize the mind and increase interest.)
|
inspire (Emphasizes creating enthusiasm and creativity.)
Temas
emotions
|work
|education
|daily_life
Definición
to make someone feel bored and unable to think well
To make someone feel mentally dull, bored, or unable to think creatively; to take the energy or interest out of an experience.
VERBO
C1
FORMAL
2
Patrón de uso:
stultify [something] (e.g., growth, innovation, reform, progress)
Outdated regulations can stultify small businesses and discourage hiring.
Az elavult szabályozások megbéníthatják a kisvállalkozásokat, és visszafoghatják a munkaerő-felvételt.
The constant changes to the plan stultified the project and drained the team’s momentum.
A terv állandó módosításai megbénították a projektet, és megtörték a csapat lendületét.
A lack of funding stultified the program’s expansion.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
Too many rules can stultify progress.
A túl sok szabály megbéníthatja a fejlődést.
Error frecuente:
Do not confuse with “nullify” (make legally invalid); stultify usually means ‘hold back’ or ‘make ineffective’ in a broader sense.
Significado
hinder; make ineffective
Colocaciones
stultify innovation
|stultify growth
|stultify progress
|stultify reform
|stultify competition
|stultify development
|stultify initiative
|stultify investment
Sinónimos
hamper (Common and direct; suggests making something harder.)
|
inhibit (Often used for restraining growth or activity; slightly technical.)
|
undermine (Suggests weakening from within rather than simply blocking.)
|
cripple (Stronger; implies severe reduction of effectiveness.)
Antónimos
enable (Means to make possible or allow to function.)
|
promote (Means to encourage growth or progress.)
Temas
business
|government
|technology
|law
Definición
to stop something from working well or improving
To hinder the development or effectiveness of something, so that it cannot work well or progress as intended.
VERBO
C2
FORMAL
3
Patrón de uso:
stultify [someone] / stultify [someone]'s argument
By quoting his earlier statements, she stultified his argument in front of the committee.
Korábbi kijelentéseit idézve nevetségessé tette az érvelését a bizottság előtt.
The witness’s contradictory answers stultified his own credibility.
A tanú ellentmondásos válaszai hiteltelenné tették a saját szavahihetőségét.
The report stultified the rumor by laying out the documented timeline.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
His mistakes stultified his argument.
A hibái nevetségessé tették az érvelését.
Error frecuente:
This sense is less common in everyday English; it usually appears in formal writing and argument contexts.
Significado
make someone seem foolish
Colocaciones
stultify an argument
|stultify a claim
|stultify an opponent
|stultify himself
|stultify herself
|stultify the criticism
Sinónimos
discredit (Focuses on damaging trust in a person or claim.)
|
make a fool of (More informal; highlights embarrassment.)
|
refute (Targets the argument’s truth rather than the person’s foolishness.)
Antónimos
vindicate (Means to clear someone of blame or show they were right.)
|
validate (Means to confirm that a claim or feeling is sound.)
Temas
communication
|debate
|social_relations
Definición
to make someone look stupid or unreasonable
To make someone appear foolish or absurd, especially by exposing contradictions, poor reasoning, or self-defeating claims.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
stultify
AFI
GB/stˈʌltəfˌaɪ/
US/stˈʌltəfˌaɪ/
Sílabas y acento
stul - ti - fy (3 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (stul)
Formas de la palabra
Verb
- Base: stultify
- 3rd Person Singular: stultifies
- Present Participle: stultifying
- Past: stultified
Expresiones
stultify oneself
1/stˈʌltəfˌaɪ wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
formal
make yourself look foolish
to make yourself look stupid by what you say or do
Ejemplos
- He stultified himself by claiming he never used the data, then presenting charts made from it.
- Try not to stultify yourself by arguing both sides of the issue in the same meeting.
- She refused to sign the statement because it would stultify her publicly.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Don’t stultify yourself by changing your story.