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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Recent Examples of empty-headed
Gosling earned an Oscar nomination for his role as the empty-headed Ken, while Ferrell played the goofy CEO of Mattel.
—
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 July 2025
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
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 July 2025
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
-
Jess: The curds themselves are crispy, but the toast is stupid.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
-
The dialogue wasn’t dumbed down and stupid comic book stuff.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Joseph can also play the right side, and his presence gives the Canucks flexibility to take it slow with the likes of Tom Willander and Victor Mancini at camp.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Number of new cases slow in the U.S. Nationally, the number of new measles cases has slowed, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The recycled leather lanyard adds to its convenience and simple, timeless style.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
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
Adjective
-
The sturdy handle and thicker walls echo the utility these beers were brewed for—robust, satisfying, and meant to be lingered over.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
One is a Dutch oven, a heavy pot with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid, typically cast iron and traditionally used for stews, soups and bread.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps outright incarceration is foolish, but some responsibility should fall on the parents’ shoulders.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Aug. 2025
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Given that association with the Trumps and their circle defines the club, Donald, Jr., would be foolish to expect less than a fifth of any profits.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Empty-headed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/empty-headed. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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