stultify

(stŭl'tə-fī')
tr.v., -fied, -fy·ing, -fies.

1. To render useless or ineffectual; cripple.
2. To cause to appear stupid, inconsistent, or ridiculous.
3. Law. To allege or prove insane and so not legally responsible.

[Late Latin stultificāre, to make foolish : Latin stultus, foolish + Latin -ficāre, -fy.]

stultification stul'ti·fi·ca'tion (-fĭ-kā'shən) n.
stultifier stul'ti·fi'er n.

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Do high temperatures make us stupid? Maybe not, but this New York Times item says the heat the city is experiencing is stultifying:

"It cannot be compared to the recent record-shattering temperatures in the western United States, but still, it has been quite hot in New York City. With temperatures recorded so far today of 92 degrees in Central Park and 93 degrees at LaGuardia Airport, New Yorkers confronted a second day of stultifying heat and humidity."

Link: A Second Day of Scorching Heat in New York - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog

Posted July 11, 2007.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

For a list of words related to stultify, see:

• Disapproval, Disrespect, and Denial - stultify: (vb) cause to appear stupid, foolish, or irresponsible

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See words rhyming with "stultify."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Stultify.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - latterliggøre, undergrave, modvirke, sløve, gøre meningsløs

Nederlands (Dutch)
belachelijk/ irrelevant maken

Français (French)
v. tr. - abrutir

Deutsch (German)
v. - zunichte machen, lächerlich machen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - εξουδετερώνω, εξουθενώνω, αποδυναμώνω, γελοιοποιώ, αποβλακώνω

Italiano (Italian)
istupidire, togliere valore a

Português (Portuguese)
v. - anular

Русский (Russian)
выставлять в смешном виде, сводить на нет, доказывать невменяемость, отуплять

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - anular, aniquilar, poner en ridículo

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - göra narr av, förlöjliga, omintetgöra, motverka, undergräva, förklara otillräknelig (jur.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使显得愚笨, 使成为徒劳, 使变无效

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使顯得愚笨, 使成為徒勞, 使變無效

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 바보처럼 보이게 하다, ~을 무효로 하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - ばからしく見せる, だいなしにする, だめにする, 無効にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يمل, يرهق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮עשה למגוחך, הציג כחסר-תועלת, שם ללעג, סיכל, ביטל‬

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