as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
the show's amateur sleuth always has to explain to the dim-witted police chief who really committed the murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 dim-witted
The sheer amount of dim-witted gangsters running around, with names like Dumbass Tony and Roid Rage Ryan, also keep the narrative lighthearted and just bizarre enough.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Ashton Kutcher As The Corporation Kutcher is perhaps best known for his role as the attractive, dim-witted Michael Kelso on the hit sitcom That ‘70s Show, which ran for eight seasons.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Though Avantika was pretty iconic in her interpretation of the sweet yet dim-witted Karen role in the 2024 Mean Girls reboot, Seyfried’s performance was the blueprint.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Hetero Awesome Fest: a gay ol’ time Ready for a dim-witted doubleheader?
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Facing pressure to sire a child, Jerome tosses a crude wager the way of his dashing but dim-witted Lothario-like chum Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) – a bet that the handsome cad won’t be able to woo Cherry and bed her while he’s gone for 100 nights.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
In this new-original sequel, however, the Spinal Tap trio seem older and wiser, and that’s a shame, since their dim-witted antics (going in circles trying to find the stage or rationalizing an all-black album cover) became the stuff of legend.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Three years later, Hurst was cast on CBS’ The Dukes of Hazzard as Hazzard County bigwig Boss Hogg’s dim-witted second cousin, twice removed.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 June 2025
Rising from the coffin of a hilarious but obscure mockumentary feature about four sort-of loser vampire housemates in suburban New Zealand, the FX sitcom shifted the action to Staten Island and cast its undead ensemble as blithely murderous, petty, pansexual and often dim-witted.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Ashton Kutcher As The Corporation Kutcher is perhaps best known for his role as the attractive, dim-witted Michael Kelso on the hit sitcom That ‘70s Show, which ran for eight seasons.
—Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Though Avantika was pretty iconic in her interpretation of the sweet yet dim-witted Karen role in the 2024 Mean Girls reboot, Seyfried’s performance was the blueprint.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Jan. 2026
Hetero Awesome Fest: a gay ol’ time Ready for a dim-witted doubleheader?
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 8 Jan. 2026
Facing pressure to sire a child, Jerome tosses a crude wager the way of his dashing but dim-witted Lothario-like chum Manfred (Nicholas Galitzine) – a bet that the handsome cad won’t be able to woo Cherry and bed her while he’s gone for 100 nights.
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025
In this new-original sequel, however, the Spinal Tap trio seem older and wiser, and that’s a shame, since their dim-witted antics (going in circles trying to find the stage or rationalizing an all-black album cover) became the stuff of legend.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Sep. 2025
Three years later, Hurst was cast on CBS’ The Dukes of Hazzard as Hazzard County bigwig Boss Hogg’s dim-witted second cousin, twice removed.
—Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 26 June 2025
Rising from the coffin of a hilarious but obscure mockumentary feature about four sort-of loser vampire housemates in suburban New Zealand, the FX sitcom shifted the action to Staten Island and cast its undead ensemble as blithely murderous, petty, pansexual and often dim-witted.
—Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim-witted
Adjective
-
Rock and pop are often unsophisticated, or downright dumb.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Urban infrastructure, after all, is still pretty dumb—forcing robotaxis to be designed around transit systems that are decades old.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In Catanzaro Lido, a beach town along the Ionian coast, meals tend to be simple and communal.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In her first interview since becoming head of content at Disney+ EMEA, Angela Jain has said the message to writers and producers is simple, the streamer is going to greenlight more originals from the region and will be backing that effort with extra funds for local fare.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dramatic footage shows flames and thick black smoke billowing from the area around the airport, while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The crowd remains thick, spanning the width of the street.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim-witted. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
