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Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2013 8:45:53 GMT
This was something we had to look up for Linguistics and I was wondering where exactly the difference is and when you use the one and when the other. Any ideas? Who uses both words? Do some of you never use one of these words?
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Post by juju on Sept 27, 2013 9:11:14 GMT
'Stunning' could apply to anything that was impressive, such as, for example, a wonderful piece of architecture or an amazing display or feat of some sort. It can also be used to describe someone's looks if they are very beautiful.
Gorgeous is much more about appearance and in some way is somehow more sensuous. Again it could be used to describe someone or something, but it would not be appropriate to use gorgeous in the same way as stunning to describe a feat, say.
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Post by raspberrybullets on Sept 27, 2013 9:36:27 GMT
To me stunning is more impressive. For example when we were in Norway and I Saw the views I thought they were stunning, gorgeous would not have done them enough justice. Something is so amazing it literally stuns you into thinking "wow". I agree with juju that stunning can be used for anything impressive. Somebody could play a piano and have a stunning performance but you wouldn't say they had a gorgeous perfomrance. Georgeous also implies more sensuousness like if you had a meal at a restuarant and it was a gorgeous meal it sounds like you really had a lot of pleasure from eating it even if you were just eating something like a stew which doesn't necessariy look gorgeous. Whereas if you said the meal was stunning it sounds a bit more like the meal was meticulous in both looks and taste.
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Post by Kye on Sept 27, 2013 11:14:29 GMT
It's also somewhat culture bound. In North America "gorgeous" is only used for appearance. We'd never say a meal was gorgeous unless we're talking only about the way it looks. If we're talking about its taste we'd say something like "fantastic".
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Post by tangent on Sept 27, 2013 13:41:06 GMT
When it comes to describing views, you would only use the word stunning. When describing people, I agree gorgeous has a more sensual connotation.
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Post by Kye on Sept 27, 2013 13:50:07 GMT
We would say a view (for example, a sunset) was gorgeous.
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Post by JoeP on Sept 27, 2013 18:29:46 GMT
I'm more with Kye than tangent as regards views - gorgeous sunsets, gorgeous misty mountain valleys seem quite natural.
A theatrical performance could be stunning but a theatre set could be gorgeous (possibly).
Both words are quite strong and you wouldn't use them lightly, whether of a thing (like a view or a building) or an act or feat or a person's appearance. Of the two I suppose "stunning" has a more specific meaning - that the thing or person is so impressive that you are stunned (and/or people in general would be stunned). "Gorgeous" is more of a flirtatious or strongly affectionate term, and although I looked up its derivation I still don't understand how it got the usage it has today.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 29, 2013 19:29:49 GMT
Thanks for your replies. I wanted this for a paper and your replies help a bit.
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