adjective

stunted

/ˈstʌntɪd/ · say it: STUN·tid

hindered from growing fully

In Describing & Comparing

In more detail

1. (adjective) having failed to grow to a normal size; smaller than expected because of poor conditions

2. (adjective) prevented from developing or progressing normally

Examples

1. The plants in the dark corner remained stunted and weak.
2. Years of poverty stunted his educational development.

How to use stunted

Stunted describes something that has failed to reach its expected size, maturity, or potential, usually due to adverse external conditions or constraints. It can be literal (physical growth, often in children or plants) or figurative (emotional, intellectual, or social development). The word carries a sense of both limitation and harm caused by deprivation or restriction.

Common phrases

stunted growth
stunted development
stunted by poverty
stunted progress
emotionally stunted

Synonyms

dwarfed · undersized · underdeveloped · restricted · inhibited

Opposites

flourishing · thriving · developed

Word family

stunt (verb) · stunting (noun/gerund) · stuntedness (noun)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use stunted as a synonym for small or tiny in general, but it specifically implies that something should have grown larger or developed further under normal conditions—it is not simply a neutral descriptor of size.

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