numbskull

noun

numb·​skull ˈnəm-ˌskəl How to pronounce numbskull (audio)
variants or less commonly numskull
1
: a dull or stupid person : dunce
2
: a thick or muddled head

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Sure, any numbskull can pour a bag of iron filings into a jug of Tide (trust me, my wife is still screaming). David H Freedman, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2012 Four women enjoying a retreat at a secluded lakeside cabin are attacked by three numbskulls and turn the tables on them, becoming the torturers. Chris Ball, cleveland.com, 1 Apr. 2018 Thank you to US press and other numbskulls who put him there. Colin Stutz, Billboard, 1 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'numbskull.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of numbskull was in 1697

Dictionary Entries Near numbskull

Cite this Entry

“Numbskull.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/numbskull. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

numbskull

variant of numskull

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