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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
he prefers to remain dumb, and replies in monosyllables if really pressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 dumb
Dan Kelly, kansascity.com, 6 June 2017
Some Dumb American, for giving me the opportunity — and for demonstrating what doing it badly looks like.
—Lily Meade, Teen Vogue, 6 July 2017
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
Adjective
Pete Townshend wrote the music and the lyrics for the inspiring story of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball.
—Dan Kelly, kansascity.com, 6 June 2017
Some Dumb American, for giving me the opportunity — and for demonstrating what doing it badly looks like.
—Lily Meade, Teen Vogue, 6 July 2017
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
-
No Broward program can possibly be as wasteful and downright stupid as the Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS).—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Aug. 2025
-
On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER!—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Greyhound assigned seating and conflict There’s not widespread awareness of the policy, and some passengers meet with resistance from others who have settled into reserved seats not assigned to them and are reluctant to give them up.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
IndyStar,
5 Aug. 2025
-
The school will provided ticketed reserved sections for football and basketball.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The resumption of flights expected to boost not just tourism but cooperation in other areas between the two nations. – Yeo Boon Ping In the markets Indian markets were muted on Thursday, with both the benchmark Nifty 50 and the BSE Sensex index closing flat.—
Amala Balakrishner,
CNBC,
14 Aug. 2025
-
While the stock market’s reaction to the news was muted, many investors spoke out against the deal.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Three organic meats are on offer for Sunday roast: slow roasted Black Angus, with creamed horseradish; succulent Tamworth Pork with bramley apple sauce and Texel Lamb with a classic mint sauce.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Burrow hopes that feeling the rush and gaining real reps working the pocket will help lessen the impact of opening-week clunkers that contributed to the team’s slow starts.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But the whisky never strays too far from its wood-spiced core, with restrained elements of aspen, pine, birch, and cedar wood.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Those gaudy, ridiculous 19th-century renovations lasted about 20 years, after which Theodore Roosevelt tore them out in favor of the restrained work of McKim, Mead & White, which laid the visual foundation for the rooms’ appearance today.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm’s and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point).—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
The crowd had just spent an entire overtime shushing each other.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
-
In North Carolina, Republicans are a few votes shy of a supermajority in one chamber but still control the redistricting process because the state’s congressional maps are not subject to veto and therefore can be passed by a simple majority in the legislature.—
Elena Shao,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Its decision in late May to buy data management firm Informatica for $8 billion faced some skepticism, and its quarterly results released around the same time failed to quiet the doubters.—
Natasha Abellard,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Promises of talks between Trump and Putin have done little to quiet the violence on the ground since their announcement.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
9 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dumb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dumb. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share