as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily got tired of being treated like an empty-headed lackey and quit to start a business

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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 empty-headed Jeff Daniels recently reflected on filming Dumb and Dumber with Jim Carrey, who played Lloyd in the comedy, and zeroed in on one of the most memorable scenes: the sequence in which his empty-headed Harry Dunne fights for his life on the toilet after accidentally drinking a whole lotta laxatives. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Feb. 2025 Andrew Cunningham Pokémon NPCs usually spout empty-headed pleasantries about the wonders of Pokémon; the NPCs in Palworld set a darker tone from the start. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2024 Fairly or not, NOFX and its Warped Tour compatriots are easily written off as empty-headed, obnoxious, adolescent bros. Fat Mike’s capitalist streak rubs many purists the wrong way. Brett Martin, New York Times, 28 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for empty-headed
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • Instead, the series seems determined to prove that age is just a number by forcing its leads, now including Choudhury and Parker, to act as if 50 is the new (and very stupid) 30.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2025
  • Jurassic Park, based on the Michael Crichton best-seller, is an evolutionary joke: Man, the master of the universe, has become mere flesh, consumed by animals allegedly too stupid to survive.
    David Denby, Vulture, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • The whales often appear unbothered, turning gently toward swimmers or drifting by in slow, graceful passes.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2025
  • Now, in the new study, researchers have gathered data that supports the theory that the demise of tropical forests, and their slow recovery, limited carbon sequestration – a process where carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in plants, soils or minerals.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • The mower mulches the grass into super fine clippings and catches them in the attached bag, which was simple to remove and empty.
    Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2025
  • Taxes are never simple, nor quick to fix, but need to be top of mind during crypto week.
    Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Politicians in the state said this was because of a loophole in the original bill that allowed the sale of thicker, reusable plastic bags at the checkout stand.
    Elizabeth Weise, USA Today, 30 June 2025
  • Still the aftertaste of raspberry filling clings to her soft palate, as thick and heady and floral as menstrual blood.
    Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Underestimating China would be a grave error, but underestimating the United States would be equally foolish.
    Damien Ma, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2025
  • Gi-hun himself proved a tough protagonist to root for when the show began, as a foolish gambling addict hoping to reconnect with his family but who becomes obsessed with the games anyway.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Empty-headed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty-headed. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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