1
: lacking wit or understanding : foolish
2
: mentally unsound
… drive one witless with anxiety.—
William Styron
William Styron
witlessly
adverb
witlessness
noun
wit·less·ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being witless : folly, senselessness, stupidity
the oratory … broke new ground in oppressiveness and witlessness—R. H. Rovere
R. H. RovereExamples of witless in a Sentence
Adjective
He committed a witless blunder.
a dog so witless that it is barely trainable
Recent Examples on the Web
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 May 2026
To be even more fair: If every son listened to his mother, mankind would be without hours of TikTok videos of witless bros pranking baffled elderly farmers in Target.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
What the obsequious emails to Epstein seem to illustrate is that many people with influence were willing to overlook his crimes, horrific behavior, and witless observations as long as there was something in it for them.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Gavras and Arbery may have other, more singular aims in mind, hidden beneath all the obvious skewering of witless wealth.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for witless
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The shadows that flicker across the walls of a narrow alley as Belén fights off some witless soldiers.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 21 May 2026
To be even more fair: If every son listened to his mother, mankind would be without hours of TikTok videos of witless bros pranking baffled elderly farmers in Target.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
What the obsequious emails to Epstein seem to illustrate is that many people with influence were willing to overlook his crimes, horrific behavior, and witless observations as long as there was something in it for them.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 Nov. 2025
Gavras and Arbery may have other, more singular aims in mind, hidden beneath all the obvious skewering of witless wealth.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for witless
Cite this Entry
“Witless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witless. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
