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stupid

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adjective stu·pid \ ˈstü-pəd , ˈstyü- \

Definition of stupid

1 a :slow of mind :obtuse
b :given to unintelligent decisions or acts :acting in an unintelligent or careless manner
c :lacking intelligence or reason :brutish
2 :dulled in feeling or sensation :torpid
  • still stupid from the sedative
3 :marked by or resulting from unreasoned thinking or acting :senseless
  • a stupid decision
4 a :lacking interest or point
  • a stupid event
b :vexatious, exasperating
  • the stupid car won't start
—

stupidly

adverb
—

stupidness

noun

See stupid defined for English-language learners

See stupid defined for kids

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Examples of stupid in a Sentence

  1. She angrily described her boss as a stupid old man.

  2. He had a stupid expression on his face.

  3. I'm not stupid enough to fall for that trick.

  4. Why are you being so stupid?

  5. It was stupid of me to try to hide this from you.

  6. We were stupid to wait so long before we made a decision.

  7. I did some pretty stupid things when I was young.

  8. Two glasses of wine are enough to make me stupid.

  9. I was stupid with fatigue.

Recent Examples of stupid from the Web

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

Origin and Etymology of stupid

Middle French stupide, from Latin stupidus, from stupēre to be numb, be astonished — more at 1type

stupid Synonyms

Synonyms
airheaded, birdbrained, bonehead, boneheaded, brain-dead, brainless, bubbleheaded, chuckleheaded, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey (also dopy), dorky [slang], dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, fatuous, gormless [chiefly British], half-witted, knuckleheaded, lamebrain (or lamebrained), lunkheaded, mindless, oafish, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, senseless, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, thick, thickheaded, thick-witted, unintelligent, unsmart, vacuous, weak-minded, witless
Antonyms
apt, brainy, bright, brilliant, clever, fast, hyperintelligent, intelligent, keen, nimble, quick, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, smart, supersmart, ultrasmart
Related Words
cretinous, feebleminded, simpleminded; boobish, foolish, idiotic (also idiotical), imbecile (or imbecilic), moronic; ignorant, illiterate, lowbrow, uneducated, uninformed, unintellectual, untaught, unthinking; absurd, asinine, balmy, cockeyed, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, featherheaded, fool, half-baked, harebrained, insane, kooky (also kookie), loony (also looney), lunatic, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, silly, tomfool, unwise, wacky (also whacky), zany; fallacious, illogical, invalid, irrational, unreasonable
Near Antonyms
ingenious, resourceful; acute, astute, discerning, insightful, keen, knowing, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, sagacious, sage, sapient, savvy, wise; cerebral, erudite, highbrow, intellectual, knowledgeable, learned, literate, scholarly, thinking, well-read; educated, informed, schooled, skilled, trained; crafty, cunning, foxy, shrewd, wily; judicious, prudent, sane, sensible, sound; logical, rational, reasonable, valid

Synonym Discussion of stupid

stupid, dull, dense, crass, dumb mean lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions. stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary.
    • stupid students just keeping the seats warm
    • stupid with drink
dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.
    • monotonous work that leaves the mind dull
dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.
    • too dense to take a hint
crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.
    • a crass, materialistic people
dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.
    • too dumb to figure out what's going on
2

stupid

noun

Definition of stupid

:a stupid person

Examples of stupid in a Sentence

  1. a genius at math, but a total stupid when it came to his love life

First Known Use of stupid

1712

stupid Synonyms

Synonyms
airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, bonehead, bubblehead, chowderhead, chucklehead, clodpoll (or clodpole), clot [British], cluck, clunk, cretin, cuddy (or cuddie) [British dialect], deadhead, dim bulb [slang], dimwit, dip, dodo, dolt, donkey, doofus [slang], dope, dork [slang], dullard, dumbbell, dumbhead, dum-dum, dummkopf, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, fathead, gander, golem, goof, goon, half-wit, hammerhead, hardhead, ignoramus, imbecile, jackass, know-nothing, knucklehead, lamebrain, loggerhead [chiefly dialect], loon, lump, lunkhead, meathead, mome [archaic], moron, mug [chiefly British], mutt, natural, nimrod [slang], nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit [chiefly British], nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull (or numbskull), oaf, pinhead, prat [British], ratbag [chiefly Australian], saphead, schlub (also shlub) [slang], schnook [slang], simpleton, stock, stupe, idiot, thickhead, turkey, woodenhead, yahoo, yo-yo
Antonyms
brain, genius
Related Words
booby, buffoon, fool, goose, loony, lunatic, madman, nut, zany; loser; gawk; featherbrain, scatterbrain; beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, heel, jerk, skunk, snake, stinker, villain; bimbette [slang], bimbo [slang], himbo
Near Antonyms
egghead, intellect, intellectual, sage, thinker, whiz, wizard; polymath, Renaissance man; sharpie (or sharpy)

STUPID Defined for English Language Learners

stupid

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adjective

Definition of stupid for English Language Learners

  • : not intelligent : having or showing a lack of ability to learn and understand things

  • : not sensible or logical

  • : not able to think normally because you are drunk, tired, etc.

STUPID Defined for Kids

stupid

play
adjective stu·pid \ ˈstü-pəd , ˈstyü- \

Definition of stupid for Students

stupider; stupidest
1 :not intelligent :slow in understanding
2 :not sensible :foolish
  • a stupid mistake
3 :not interesting or worthwhile
  • a stupid plot
—

stupidly

adverb

Learn More about stupid

  1. See words that rhyme with stupid Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stupid Spanish Central: Translation of stupid Nglish: Translation of stupid for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of stupid for Arabic speakers

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Examples: stupid in a Sentence