stun grenade: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1technical, military, police, journalism, figurative (literary/colloquial)
Quick answer
What does “stun grenade” mean?
A non-lethal explosive device designed to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses with a blinding flash and a loud bang.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A non-lethal explosive device designed to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses with a blinding flash and a loud bang.
By extension, anything that causes a sudden, shocking, and disorienting effect, often in a metaphorical sense.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences; both use 'stun grenade'. 'Flashbang' is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical technical/military connotations. In figurative use, equally vivid.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK media and official reports due to different police terminology histories, but the difference is marginal.
Grammar
How to Use “stun grenade” in a Sentence
[Subject: Police/Unit] + deployed/threw + [Object: stun grenade] + [Prepositional Phrase: into the room/at the protesters][Subject: Stun grenade] + detonated/exploded + [Adverbial: with a loud bang]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stun grenade” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The tactical team were prepared to stun-grenade the stronghold if necessary.
American English
- The SWAT team decided to flashbang the room before entry.
adjective
British English
- The stun-grenade tactic is controversial in crowded urban areas.
American English
- The flashbang deployment was recorded on bodycam.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Used in political science, criminology, or security studies papers discussing crowd control or military tactics.
Everyday
Rare, except when discussing news reports about police raids or military operations. Figurative use possible (e.g., 'That news was a stun grenade').
Technical
Standard term in military, law enforcement, and tactical equipment manuals. Precise specifications (lumens, decibels, fuse delay) are discussed.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “stun grenade”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “stun grenade”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stun grenade”
- Confusing it with a 'smoke grenade' or 'tear gas canister'. Using it as a verb (*'They stun-grenaded the building').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, yes. 'Flashbang' is a common synonym, though some make a technical distinction where 'flashbang' is the generic term and 'stun grenade' might refer to a specific military model.
While designed to be non-lethal, they can cause serious injury or death in very close proximity, due to the concussive blast or if they cause a victim to fall from a height.
A concussion grenade is primarily designed to stun with a powerful shockwave (blast effect) and may cause more physical trauma. A stun grenade prioritises overwhelming light and sound with a minimal blast.
It describes news, an event, or a statement that has a sudden, shocking, and temporarily paralysing effect on a person or group, e.g., 'The election result was a political stun grenade.'
A non-lethal explosive device designed to temporarily disorient an enemy's senses with a blinding flash and a loud bang.
Stun grenade is usually technical, military, police, journalism, figurative (literary/colloquial) in register.
Stun grenade: in British English it is pronounced /ˌstʌn ɡrəˈneɪd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌstʌn ɡrəˈneɪd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Figurative] to be like a stun grenade (of news, an event): to be shocking and disorienting.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'STUN' (to shock) + 'GRENADE' (small bomb). It's a grenade that stuns, not kills.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SUDDEN SHOCK IS A PHYSICAL EXPLOSION / DISORIENTATION IS TEMPORARY BLINDNESS AND DEAFNESS.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary purpose of a stun grenade?