Synonym Chooser

How is the word asinine different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of asinine are fatuous, foolish, silly, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

When could fatuous be used to replace asinine?

While the synonyms fatuous and asinine are close in meaning, fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

When is foolish a more appropriate choice than asinine?

The meanings of foolish and asinine largely overlap; however, foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

When can silly be used instead of asinine?

The synonyms silly and asinine are sometimes interchangeable, but silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

When would simple be a good substitute for asinine?

In some situations, the words simple and asinine are roughly equivalent. However, simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

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 asinine Speaking of people getting into hot water for saying asinine things, don’t miss Sabrina Impacciatore’s brilliantly inappropriate portrayal of Esmeralda Grande in The Office spin-off/continuation The Paper, which premieres on Peacock on Thursday, September 4. Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2025 Featured Presentations Final Destination: Bloodlines Family gatherings can already be a pain, but imagine that pain being asinine deaths that claim everyone one by one. Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 17 May 2025 What's worse than luring Robert De Niro to Netflix for a boring, soulless and asinine political thriller? Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025 Alonso may not be the priority at first base for the Bronx Bombers, but to say there is zero interest is asinine. Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 Altman’s is a plainly asinine claim; a bunch of code running in a data center is not the same as a brain. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024 Comedy videos about customer service and asinine Atlanta eatery rules were already popular on TikTok but have seen major pickup since Lee’s viral videos. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023 Rogozin's claim that the only evidence Roscosmos could offer of the Moon landings was a book by Leonov is asinine. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 8 May 2023 Damning emails, texts, and deposition testimony made public during the Dominion case revealed that on-air hosts and executives, and many others at Fox, privately said in 2020 that the vote-rigging claims against Dominion were asinine. Jennifer Korn, CNN, 20 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asinine
Adjective
  • The name-calling and the stupid AI and the imagery has got to stop.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
  • These kids are being stupid and absurd and reckless and not thinking about anything other than what’s directly in front of their faces.
    Will Leitch, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This aspect will always cast her apart, even today, in the sense that a woman’s naked body is still perceived by audiences as something that stands out for some absurd reason, unfortunately.
    Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Their vote to shut down the government is absurd.
    Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Count Dracula remains a fixture in the horror genre, having been featured in movies that range from scary and sexy to silly and satirical.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Anderson’s synthesis of all of these themes, motifs, and silly gags into One Battle After Another, which saw Anderson’s biggest movie opening ever last month, shows how Pynchon’s ideas have not only aged well but are more visible and relevant.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This place belongs to the Carver, a deranged butcher who hunts anything foolish enough to enter.
    Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 25 Sep. 2025
  • France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise.
    Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Continue reading … ORWELL NIGHTMARE – Joe Rogan blasts 'insane' media silence on arrests for social media posts.
    , FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • The queen greeted this insane question with a politely regal stare, ignored my faux pas, and continued talking about financial inclusion.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s just idiotic foreign policy.
    Jamie McIntyre, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The Chiefs open with the J’s Friday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is patently idiotic, but at least the loser can blame it on the bossa nova.
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In fact, let’s get completely crazy and predict that Hanley goes absolutely haywire this year to the tune of … three goals!
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • This is crazy and continues to erode the public health system and the public trust in vaccines.
    Pien Huang, NPR, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • My real friends know what happened, but Kurt’s fans, Courtney’s fans, and some of my own fans were mad at me.
    Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Maybe, probably, the States were also mad at her.
    Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Asinine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asinine. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on asinine

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