as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
kept getting typecast as the hero's dorky sidekick
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Recent Examples of dorky
Krypto, who was introduced in 1955, is one of the latter, and Gunn uses him to emphasize how fallible his take on the Man of Steel is going to be, as well as to signal how wonderfully dorky and earnest his movie is about to get.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 July 2025
Family gatherings and backstage meetings show McBride’s vulnerability, dorky sense of humor and general passion for the political process.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
In the finished series, Cooper plays Justin with a wide-eyed, dorky earnestness.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 May 2025
Some are kind of dorky; others are raunchy.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dorky
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 July 2025
Family gatherings and backstage meetings show McBride’s vulnerability, dorky sense of humor and general passion for the political process.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
In the finished series, Cooper plays Justin with a wide-eyed, dorky earnestness.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 May 2025
Some are kind of dorky; others are raunchy.
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dorky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dorky
Adjective
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And, in one of the dumbest and most obviously racist postr taken by a presidential candidate, at some point Republicans became fixated on the idea that Haitian migrants were stealing pets for food in the Midwest.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
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After Johnson gave his answer to that resolutely dumb question, several other luminaries took a whack at the zeitgeist piñata.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
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Keaton continued to play oddballs with a peculiar way of talking, though none were trivial or stupid.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Audition is a slow burn, spending the better part of two hours setting up audiences for arguably one of the most graphic climaxes in horror history.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
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Tai chi is a form of exercise that involves slow, gentle movements and balancing poses.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Monochromatic Raven loves to stick to a simple, serene palette by combining a variety of white tulips with different bloom times.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
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This Madewell version channels that effortless, neutral polish Kitts described—simple, structured, and endlessly versatile.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their style of pitching — relentlessly pound the strike zone — works well in a ballpark where the thick air depresses doubles and triples.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Let cool and spread a layer, about one-fourth-inch thick, of cream cheese icing over the entire cake.—
Kathryn Gregory,
Louisville Courier Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dorky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dorky. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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