as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
foolish and doltish behavior that was really beneath you
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Recent Examples of doltish
Redmayne brings a sweetly doltish everyman energy to this increasingly off-kilter affair, with much of the dialogue between him and his co-stars (including Stratton-Twine as the missing woman’s slacker brother) improvised in disarmingly shaggy fashion.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doltish
Adjective
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Proof is just smart enough without risking making anyone feel dumb.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Trump has routinely mocked his political opponents and critics as crazy or dumb.—
Joseph Konig,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then the second one is grassroots and bottom up and the local solutions to this thing that is a stupid business model.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
11 Apr. 2026
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Allowing one nine years of eligibility is just stupid.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Plane outlets are often slow, loose, or even nonexistent, and when delays stack up, a dead phone becomes a real problem—not just an inconvenience.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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When Manning began teaching in the early 1990s, communication between teachers and parents moved at a slower, more deliberate pace.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Both include full integration of the climate controls into the screen, requiring more concentration to use and additional steps to make adjustments previously accomplished by pressing a simple button.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Scientists at Florida International University are developing a drug compound known as CTS2444-32, designed to reach deep brain regions affected by Parkinson's through a simple nasal delivery system.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dandelion seeds easily take hold in bare spots, so keep your lawn thick and healthy.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 Apr. 2026
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In addition to a thick webbed strap that's adjustable, the bag features two exterior zippered pockets with RFID-blocking technology to protect important travel essentials like cell phones, hotel room keys, passports, and credit cards.—
Michelle Baricevic,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doltish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doltish. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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