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
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Recent Examples of dim-witted
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
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
During The Beverly Hillbillies’ nine-season run, Baer Jr. starred as dim-witted Clampett cousin Jethro Bodine as well as making several appearances in drag as his character’s twin sister, Jethrine.
—John Russell, People.com, 11 May 2025
But fans clearly missed seeing the endearing — if dim-witted — Joey alongside his pals Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Ross (David Schwimmer), because viewership steadily declined as the series progressed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Emma Specter, Vogue, 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
During The Beverly Hillbillies’ nine-season run, Baer Jr. starred as dim-witted Clampett cousin Jethro Bodine as well as making several appearances in drag as his character’s twin sister, Jethrine.
—John Russell, People.com, 11 May 2025
But fans clearly missed seeing the endearing — if dim-witted — Joey alongside his pals Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Ross (David Schwimmer), because viewership steadily declined as the series progressed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim-witted
Adjective
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Okay, there's trying something new and then there's just being dumb.—
Samantha Highfill,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Jan. 2026
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Why portray Dorothy as a doe-eyed ding-a-ling; as not just naive but dumb?—
Lili Anolik,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What happens, though, when those excesses transcend the merely stupid, the merely unjust, to become existential?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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People who approve of ICE’s actions aren’t necessarily stupid or evil.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Commission, the EU’s executive arm, has decided that the pace of EV sales is far too slow and has proposed a new category of small and seriously affordable cars.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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States and cities that have loosened building constraints are already seeing slower rent growth compared to heavily regulated markets.—
J.D. Hayworth,
Boston Herald,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In such a world, simple answers won’t do; only the courage to ask the hardest questions will push us forward.—
Daphne Koller,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
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Knox, who committed to wrestle at Rutgers University, and his dad were initially charged with simple assault for purposely/knowingly causing bodily injury after a brawl broke out at Collingswood High School on February.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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What remains, the thick, black, and dense oil, required special techniques to be brought to the surface.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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As a Boston native, Stone’s accent is thicker than chowdah, bless her, with a laugh that lilts like a fly ball onto Lansdowne Street.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dim-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim-witted. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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