What it means
A stunner is someone so good-looking they stop you mid-sentence, the kind of person who makes you forget what you were doing. It also works for anything properly impressive, like a killer outfit, a cracking view, or a surprisingly tidy bit of DIY. Usually said as absolute stunner, it’s pure compliment with a wink.
Usage examples
"Saw Dan’s new girlfriend down the pub and nearly spilled my pint. Absolute stunner. Even his new motor looks a stunner after that dodgy wash."
"My nan rocked up to the wedding in a turquoise hat the size of a satellite dish. Absolute stunner, the lot of us clapped when she walked in."
"Mate, the view from the top of Arthur's Seat at sunrise is a proper stunner. Worth the climb even with hungover legs."
Where it comes from
Built off the verb to stun, meaning to leave someone speechless or knocked back. The noun form took off in British English from around the late nineteenth century, first praising women, then sliding into anything jaw-dropping. By the eighties and nineties it was tabloid bread and butter, splashed across headlines whenever a footballer or popstar arrived with a partner who turned heads.
Other ways to say it
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