Stunt
/stʌnt/
nounverbB2
Definition
As a noun, a stunt is an exciting or difficult action, often done in movies, TV, or performances, to impress people. As a verb, stunt means to stop something from growing or developing normally, like a plant or a person's growth.
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See It in Action
Noun: A difficult or dangerous action done to entertain or impress
- •The actor performed his own stunts in the movie.
- •The bike stunt amazed the crowd.
- •Stunts in movies often require special training.
Verb: To stop or slow down growth or progress
- •The cold weather stunted the plants' growth.
- •Poor nutrition can stunt a child's development.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "stunt" like "trick" (A1 word), but more about physical actions that are hard or risky.
- ✓Picture a person jumping from a high place or doing a flip on a bike—this is a stunt.
- ✓It's the feeling of excitement or surprise when you see someone do something dangerous but skillful.
- ✓Sounds like "stunt" → imagine someone standing (stand) on a small platform doing something big and surprising.
- ✓Think of famous movie scenes where actors do stunts to make the story exciting.
- ✓As a verb, NOT like "grow" (getting bigger), "stunt" means to stop or slow growth.
- ✓NOT like "trick" (can be a joke), "stunt" is usually a real physical action or a real effect on growth.
- ✓NOT like "show" (just to display), "stunt" often involves risk or danger.
Try Other Words
- •Feat: a brave or impressive action (Use when focusing on the skill or bravery, not danger)
- •Performance: an act done for an audience (Use when the action is part of a show)
- •Impede: to slow or stop progress (Use when talking about stopping growth or development)
- •Hamper: to make something difficult (Use when growth or progress is made harder but not completely stopped)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, root word "stunt")
- •Etymology: From Old English "stuntian" meaning to be stunned or amazed; later used for stopping growth and for daring acts
- •Historical development: Originally meant to stop or limit growth; later used for daring acts in entertainment
- •Modern usage: Used both for exciting physical actions in entertainment and for slowing growth or progress in biology or development
Reflect & Connect
•How do you think performing a stunt in a movie affects the actor’s safety and skill?
•Can you think of situations where something important in life was stunted or stopped from growing? How did that feel?
Fill in the blanks
1.The actor did a dangerous stunt ___ the crowd to cheer loudly.
2.Cold weather can stunt plant growth because it ___ the normal warm conditions.
3.Unlike a simple trick, a stunt usually ___ physical skill and risk.
4.When a child’s growth is stunted, it means their body ___ growing as it should.
5.The motorcycle stunt was performed ___ great care and practice.
6.Sometimes people try to stunt their progress by ___ bad habits.
7.Stunts in movies often require special ___ to be safe and believable.