1
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a dog so witless that it is barely trainable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

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 witless The federal government, in all its wisdom, is once again gearing up to save the witless American people from themselves. Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025 By most accounts, Trump’s ground game—powered by the witless Musk—was a bit of a mess, but Harris’s professional field operation seems to have been helpless to stem the tide of Trump’s support. The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024 But apparently, California just couldn’t abide this challenge to its primacy as the most witless state in the union. Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Sep. 2024 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) To borrow Jeff Bridges’s description of the magazine that Simon Pegg’s character once ran, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is witless. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for witless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witless
Adjective
  • Mexican men were dismissed as violent Panchos and stupid Pedros.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • There’s more stupid romance around harder substances but few chemicals are more hazardous to ambition than THC.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Making a prediction for Game 7 is obviously foolish.
    The Athletic NBA Staff, New York Times, 22 June 2025
  • This seems foolish since the U.S. has some 25-30% of the world’s coal, which is even more than China.
    Jude Clemente, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • Jeff: This has been such a silly way to seed the in-season tournament.
    Jeff Gluck, New York Times, 21 June 2025
  • Between silly videos and heartfelt tributes, Palmer has been relishing in motherhood.
    Kayla Grant, People.com, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • And then there is a style that believes reading should mimic the obstruction and slow struggle of writing.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • Juicy, tender ribs are hard to beat, and cooking them low and slow is the key to achieving that irresistible fall-off-the-bone texture and deep, savory flavor.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • The College World Series semifinals concluded Wednesday, allowing Houston Astros manager Joe Espada another chance to marvel at an absurd ascension.
    Chandler Rome, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • The nutrient can indeed help with all of those, but sometimes, the claims turn absurd.
    Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • The simplest way to achieve your goal may be a version of the truth that’s not the whole truth.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
  • For leaders, the takeaway is simple: let chaos strip the fluff away.
    Victoria Chynoweth, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • But people who might be mad at the thought of gay prince are going to be mad regardless.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 18 June 2025
  • On Sunday afternoon, in a mad scramble that took place fewer than 20 minutes before the first pitch at Dodger Stadium, the Giants and Posey astonished the baseball industry.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 16 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Witless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witless. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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