\ ˈdəm
\
\
dumber; dumbest
Definition of dumb
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: lacking intelligence : stupid
pretended to be dumb
b
: showing a lack of intelligence
asking dumb questions a dumb look on his face
c
: requiring no intelligence
dumb luck
2a
: lacking the human power of speech
dumb animals
3
: temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or astonishment)
struck dumb with fear
4
: not expressed in uttered words
dumb grief
6
: lacking some usual attribute or accompaniment
especially
: having no means of self-propulsion
a dumb barge
7
: not having the capability to process data
a dumb terminal
— compare intelligent sense 3a
dumb
verb
dumbed; dumbing; dumbs
Definition of dumb (Entry 2 of 2)
: to make silent : deaden
would lie around, dumbed by the drugs— Norman Mailer
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Other Words from dumb
Adjective
dumbly
\
ˈdəm-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
dumbness
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for dumb
Synonyms: Adjective
Synonyms: Verb
- extinguish,
- hush,
- mute,
- quell,
- quiet,
- quieten
- [chiefly British],
- settle,
- shush,
- shut up,
- silence,
- squelch,
- still
Antonyms: Adjective
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Examples of dumb in a Sentence
Adjective
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.
Verb
the terrible news dumbed her for a long moment, and then she burst into tears
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
—
Daniel Jackson, Allure, "Emily Ratajkowski on Being Comfortable With Her Sexuality," 18 July 2017
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
—
Andy Benoit, The MMQB, "pic.twitter.com/GWuJvRTLPY," 10 July 2017
And all of it thanks to mango lovers, tolerant homeowners and dumb luck.
—
Carlos Frías, miamiherald, "A 100-year-old tree stands in a Miami yard. Is it the ‘granddaddy of all Florida mangoes?’," 29 June 2017
There's nothing inherently wrong with remaking The Mummy; the 1999 film (itself a remake) is a lot of dumb fun, but just that.
—
Josh Spiegel, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Mummy': Why Tom Cruise Couldn't Top Brendan Fraser," 9 June 2017
Pete Townshend wrote the music and the lyrics for the inspiring story of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball.
—
Dan Kelly, kansascity.com, "KC events June 8-14: Tig Notaro, Dragon Boat Festival, Juneteenth at Nelson, ‘Hamlet’," 6 June 2017
Some Dumb American, for giving me the opportunity — and for demonstrating what doing it badly looks like.
—
Lily Meade, Teen Vogue, "What Being Trolled Taught Me About Diversity," 6 July 2017
The difference between the dumb comments of the past and the inappropriate remarks of today, however, is the size of our audience.
—
Ana Veciana-suarez, miamiherald, "The stupid — and vile — things people say on social media," 3 July 2017
Here are the top five dumb things Louisville drivers do.
—
Jeffrey Lee Puckett, The Courier-Journal, "A study says that Louisville has the 13th-best drivers in America ... Ha!," 30 June 2017
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Worse, the country’s attempts to fix the schools have tended to dumb them down, experts say.
—
New York Times, "Israel, ‘Start-up Nation,’ Groans Under Strains of Growth and Neglect," 1 Mar. 2020
Auto-aim system does just enough legwork to let players focus on speed without completely dumbing the game down.
—
Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Pistol Whip review: The year’s freshest VR game—and oh-so close to greatness," 7 Nov. 2019
The differences between the 2000s and 2019 versions are nuanced but can be quickly boiled (or dumbed) down to fewer butt shots.
—
Seija Rankin, EW.com, "Who Run the World? Inside the first female-led installment of the Charlie’s Angels franchise," 6 Nov. 2019
Many thought Ross wanted girls to pretend to like things to get a guy to crush on them, or even dumb themselves down so guys can feel like teachers.
—
Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "10 Things Guys Look for in Girls," 6 Nov. 2018
The filmmakers wanted all of the satire, but dumbed it down enough to appeal to a mass audience in the cutthroat summer blockbuster season.
—
cleveland.com, "Before 'Black Panther' a history of obscure superheroes on the big screen," 15 Feb. 2018
Many thought Ross wanted girls to pretend to like things to get a guy to crush on them, or even dumb themselves down so guys can feel like teachers.
—
Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "10 Things Guys Look for in Girls," 6 Nov. 2018
Winston had to dumb it down to a few dozen basic sentences.
—
Andy Rosen, BostonGlobe.com, "Toil and trouble: How ‘Macbeth’ could teach computers to think," 2 June 2018
One former Pompeo aide attributed the success to Pompeo's keen ability to distill complex issues and convey them clearly and directly, without dumbing them down.
—
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, "Trump's intelligence whisperer prepares for State role," 14 Mar. 2018
See MoreThese 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.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes
When each letter can be seen but not heard
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Last Updated
20 Jan 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Dumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumb. Accessed 24 Feb. 2021.
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More Definitions for dumb
dumb
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of dumb
: not showing or having good judgment or intelligence : stupid or foolish
: not requiring or resulting from intelligence
: not able to speak especially after being shocked or surprised
See the full definition for dumb in the English Language Learners Dictionary
dumb
adjective
\ ˈdəm
\
\
dumber; dumbest
Kids Definition of dumb
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)
4
: stupid sense 1, foolish
There are no dumb questions.
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Time Traveler for dumb
The first known use of dumb was before the 12th century
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