1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
some half-wit had left the gate open, and all the sheep had gotten loose
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
even a half-wit knows that ice cream melts if it's not in the freezer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of half-wit
If one president can pardon his half-brother, then another president can pardon his half-wit son.
—
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-wit
Noun
-
The lunatics are running the asylum.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Will Arnett and other lunatics round out the cast.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t let the cream’s $8 price tag fool you; the anti-aging find tackles fine lines, wrinkles, and clogged pores, all while being gentle enough for all skin types.—
Isabel Bekele,
InStyle,
21 June 2026
-
This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Each morning, the city's street-flusher truck cleans goose droppings from the riverfront concrete walkway, but officials said the equipment cannot remove droppings left on grassy areas.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
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Was there pressure on you as this goose whose golden eggs were all going to Apple?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
The Martin Lawrence vehicle Martin, which ran for five glorious seasons, offered a terrific platform for Lawrence to run around like a maniac as an energetic radio DJ.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-wit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-wit. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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