boneheadedness

noun

as in thickness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind the sheer boneheadedness shown by the state's politicians, who have ignored the problem for decades

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 boneheadedness The pressure brought forth both boneheadedness and brilliance. — The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boneheadedness
  1. thickness
  2. stupidness
  3. stupidity
  4. dumbness
  5. slowness
  6. dullness
  7. foolishness
  8. denseness
Noun
  • While some hair products can be used across different textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, and colors (natural and unnatural), they are often created with specific consumers in mind.
    — Sara Coughlin, Allure, 9 July 2026
  • Schippers did not specify the size, shape, thickness, or type of peanut butter the work needs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026
Definition of thickness
Noun
  • In an email to Krebs, Valadon claimed that the repo’s commit logs show that GitHub’s default protections against committing secrets—protections designed to protect unwitting or unskilled developers against exactly this kind of stupidness—had been disabled by the repo’s administrator.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2026
Definition of stupidness
Noun
  • Here are the three reasons a good employee sits on a great AI discovery, and none of them is stupidity.
    — Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • The stupidity of losing his car was one thing; the cruelty of forcing her to make that choice was quite another.
    — Emily Ruskovich, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of stupidity
Noun
  • The first 10 minutes are an incredible swirl of paranoia, alcoholism, and sluggish dumbness when Gould just needs to feed his cat.
    — Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
  • Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.
    — Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of dumbness
Noun
  • That apprenticeship is slower than asking AI for a draft, and the slowness is exactly what builds the tacit expertise the data shows AI cannot replicate.
    — Juliette Han, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026
  • Everything—the light, the salt, the slowness—conspires to shift your inner tempo.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of slowness
Noun
  • This serum is great for fading dark spots, boosting collagen production, and fighting visible signs of aging like fine lines and dullness.
    — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 4 July 2026
  • Use natural brighteners like vinegar, lemon juice, or sunlight to combat yellowing and dullness.
    — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 1 July 2026
Definition of dullness
Noun
  • Any larger Hollywood studio would have likely insisted on a grander finale, but The Death of Robin Hood, produced by A24, left me pondering the foolishness of my need for such a denouement.
    — David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
  • The popular Instagram page @touronsofnationalparks is known for spotlighting the foolishness of people in national parks.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
Definition of foolishness
Noun
  • Tiernan is tall but carries the denseness of frame and core strength of a guard.
    — Matthew Mowery, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Understand how rye works in baking Though dark, dense rye bread is delicious, rye flour does not inherently create denseness in other baked goods.
    — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of denseness

Browse Nearby Words

boneheaded
boneheadedness
boneheads
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Cite this Entry

“Boneheadedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boneheadedness. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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