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Definition of dumb
1a : lacking the human power of speech dumb animalsb of a person, now often offensive : lacking the ability to speak
2 : temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or astonishment) struck dumb with fear
3 : not expressed in uttered words dumb grief
4 : silent they were capable of sitting for hours, dumb and unabashed, over their pipes — Ellen Glasgow; also : taciturn
5 : lacking some usual attribute or accompaniment; especially : having no means of self-propulsion a dumb barge
6a : lacking intelligence : stupid pretended to be dumbb : showing a lack of intelligence asking dumb questions a dumb look on his facec : requiring no intelligence dumb luck
7 : not having the capability to process data a dumb terminal — compare intelligent 3a
dumbness
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Is the use of dumb offensive?
There is evidence that, when applied to persons who cannot speak, dumb has come to be considered offensive.
Examples of dumb in a Sentence
I'm not dumb enough to believe that.
It was a dumb idea in the first place.
He just stood there with a dumb grin on his face.
This is one of the dumbest TV shows I've ever seen.
It was dumb luck that we found this place at all.
His success is just a matter of dumb luck.
He was born deaf and dumb.
Recent Examples of dumb from the Web
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Some Dumb American, for giving me the opportunity — and for demonstrating what doing it badly looks like.
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The difference between the dumb comments of the past and the inappropriate remarks of today, however, is the size of our audience.
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Here are the top five dumb things Louisville drivers do.
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Tuco Saladonka Harambe Thank you for reading this dumb list.
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The girls having some kind of intervention is about as dumb as believing Elena could be president of the United States.
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Growing up in Cleveland, Cohn was severely dyslexic, which at the time just meant dumb.
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There's nothing inherently wrong with remaking The Mummy; the 1999 film (itself a remake) is a lot of dumb fun, but just that.
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Risky business Dear Fool: My dumbest investment was buying into a penny stock.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dumb'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of dumb
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German tumb mute
Synonym Discussion of dumb
dumb
Definition of dumb
transitive verb
: to make silent : deaden would lie around, dumbed by the drugs — Norman Mailer
Examples of dumb in a Sentence
the terrible news dumbed her for a long moment, and then she burst into tears
Recent Examples of dumb from the Web
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AP tests, which are written and graded by outside experts and cannot by dumbed down by schools, reveal a gap between IDEA and BASIS, explained by their different percentages of impoverished students.
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And are cultural institutions in danger of dumbing down in an effort to draw crowds?
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One concern has been whether doctors might have to dumb down their notes for patients, or whether patients might get too distressed by reading what their doctors say about them.
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The strats worried about being dumbed down, employees say, while the I.T. engineers worried about being marginalized.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dumb'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of dumb
see 1dumb
DUMB Defined for Kids
dumb
playDefinition of dumb for Students
dumber
;dumbest
1 : lacking the power of human speech dumb animals
2 often offensive : lacking the ability to speak Hint: In the past, this word was not considered offensive when used in this way. In recent years, however, many people have come to find it hurtful, and you may offend someone by using it.
3 : temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or surprise)
dumbly
adverbMedical Dictionary
Learn More about dumb
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See words that rhyme with dumb Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dumb Spanish Central: Translation of dumb Nglish: Translation of dumb for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of dumb for Arabic speakers
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