as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
you're not unintelligent, so you must just be stubbornly resisting all attempts to teach you something
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of unintelligent
And not because people are unintelligent — quite the opposite.
—
Jj Rosen,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
The 32-year-old says she’s always been naturally curious, but as a child, school often left her feeling anxious and unintelligent.
—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.
—
Daniel Burke,
NPR,
9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintelligent
Jj Rosen,
Nashville Tennessean,
20 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
The 32-year-old says she’s always been naturally curious, but as a child, school often left her feeling anxious and unintelligent.
—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.
—
Daniel Burke,
NPR,
9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintelligent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintelligent
Adjective
-
And the script’s very cute but deeply dumb leading man, Alex (Nico Carney), climbs a flight of stairs toward his best friend’s bedroom door.
-
And there are no ego-destroying confrontations with people who know how to do things, who tell you that your idea is dumb.
Adjective
-
But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
-
White can believe Hokit said something stupid and still believe fighters should be allowed to speak for themselves.
Adjective
-
What to expect over the weekend Though Friday was expected to be the slowest day of the competition, the atmosphere at Cal Expo was anything but dull.
-
Some residents are calling for civilian volunteers to help clear debris, frustrated by the slow pace of the rescue operations.
Adjective
-
The questions Campbell needs to answer are simple.
-
Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple.
Adjective
-
Their earliest performances could be fun and irreverent, too, but Boy George says they were also marred by ignorant, homophobic heckling.
-
And using both words does not reveal that a person is ignorant but rather cosmopolitan.
Adjective
-
Measuring less than a millimeter thick, this sensor basically acts like a neuron in our brain, processing and keeping the information even after the original signal is gone.
-
ZDNet Korea also reported that the Wide Fold uses 60μm ultra-thin glass on its inner display, 30% thicker than the 45μm used on the Z Fold 8 Ultra.
Cite this Entry
“Unintelligent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintelligent. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
