World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesStultify
/ˈstʌl.tɪ.faɪ/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To cause to lose enthusiasm and initiative, especially through a tedious or restrictive routine.
"Bureaucratic red tape can stultify even the most creative and energetic employees." - 2
To cause something to become ineffective, useless, or absurd in legal or practical application.
"The conflicting clauses in the contract served only to stultify the entire agreement."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Latin adjective 'stultus' meaning 'foolish' combined with '-ficare' (from facere meaning 'to make'). Entering English in the late 18th century, the verb originally meant to cause someone to appear foolish or mentally absurd, later shifting in legal and general usage to mean rendering something useless, futile, or cripplingly ineffective.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Stultify" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
étouffer
Transliteration: e-too-fay
"Une routine excessive peut étouffer la créativité."
lähmend
Transliteration: lay-mend
"Starre Vorschriften können die Innovation lähmen."
stultificare
Transliteration: stool-tee-fee-kah-reh
"La burocrazia tende a stultificare ogni iniziativa."
embotar
Transliteration: em-boh-tar
"El trabajo monótono puede embotar la mente."
embotar
Transliteration: eem-boh-tar
"Regras excessivas podem embotar o progresso."
कुंठित करना
Transliteration: kunthit karna
"अत्यधिक नियम रचनात्मकता को कुंठित कर सकते हैं।"
使呆滞
Transliteration: shǐ dāizhì
"死板的规则会使人的思维呆滞。"
무력화하다
Transliteration: muryeokwahada
"관료주의는 혁신을 무력화할 수 있다."
無力にする
Transliteration: muryoku ni suru
"硬直した規則は創造性を無力にする。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all English termsA very rich person; a millionaire or billionaire of legendary proportions.
A person who promotes or publicizes a particular organization, doctrine, or biased point of view, often using misleading or manipulative information.
A scarecrow or a grotesque figure set up in a field.
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