dumb 1 of 2

1
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily don't call him dumb just because he makes the occasional mistake like the rest of us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

dumb

2 of 2

verb

as in to mute
to stop the noise or speech of the terrible news dumbed her for a long moment, and then she burst into tears

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective dumb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of dumb are crass, dense, dull, and stupid. While all these words mean "lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions," dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.

too dumb to figure out what's going on

When would crass be a good substitute for dumb?

While in some cases nearly identical to dumb, crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.

a crass, materialistic people

Where would dense be a reasonable alternative to dumb?

The synonyms dense and dumb are sometimes interchangeable, but dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.

too dense to take a hint

In what contexts can dull take the place of dumb?

Although the words dull and dumb have much in common, dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.

monotonous work that leaves the mind dull

When is stupid a more appropriate choice than dumb?

While the synonyms stupid and dumb are close in meaning, stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary.

stupid students just keeping the seats warm
stupid with drink

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 dumb
Adjective
Weitzman co-wrote and stars in the film, which delights in spoofing tired Hollywood storytelling and franchise fatigue, while toggling between jokes that are exceedingly clever and thrillingly dumb. William Earl, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025 So many of Black Rabbit’s subplots are confusing, boring, or dumb. Andrew Bernard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
Are Rory and Cobby dumb enough to believe that Mr. Besegai’s goons (including Paul Walter Hauser) were dispatched to help them rather than to tie up loose ends? David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024 This includes throwing out 31 of 47 runners dumb enough to run on him in 2022. James Yasko, Chron, 24 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for dumb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dumb
Adjective
  • When smart algorithms do stupid things But scratch beneath the surface, and the cracks start showing.
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 8 Oct. 2025
  • America has funded the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian pensions, and Ukrainian businesses during this entire stupid war that America should have nothing to do with.
    Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Raised in Iowa and Nebraska, Carson built his career as a host of variety and game shows with an approachable ease, developing a reserved charisma that helped fuel the rise of his show as a gigantically influential program with a massive audience.
    Eric Deggans, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Stir in reserved shrimp and sausage.
    Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a separate post, Tippett is seen hugging and staring into his beloved’s eyes through a window, followed by a video of the pair talking and snogging, with their intimate conversation muted by the glass partition.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Miami went into the half with momentum and with the sellout crow in Tallahassee muted.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Losing is so deeply ingrained in the fabric of this franchise that every slow start has the potential to snowball.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • His administration has seen some success; inflation in Argentina eased this year to the slowest monthly pace in more than four years.
    Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That would include gun-violence restraining orders and domestic violence protective orders, which are among several kinds of orders that compel a restrained person to surrender firearms.
    Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • This would make the policy more fiscally restrained but less universal.
    Christopher Robertson, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In the clip, the then-6-year-old can be seen walking with his iPad to the next room and shushing everyone.
    Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The View has a long history of guests receiving sustained standing ovations — and Goldberg attempting to shush rowdy audience members.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Strufe adds that while intelligence agencies or cybercriminals have simpler ways to monitor people – such as accessing CCTV cameras or video doorbells – the widespread presence of wireless networks could eventually form a near-comprehensive surveillance infrastructure.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The simplest way to find influential people in a network is called degree centrality—just count the number of connections for each person.
    Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At first, the army did bring order to the streets and quieted public protests.
    Time, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Highly rated and selling fast on Amazon, these Beats headphones deliver quality audio, with a noise-canceling setting that helps quiet your surroundings.
    Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumb. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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