Definition of gormlessnext
chiefly British
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a comedy show that invariably portrays the British aristocracy as a bunch of gormless twits

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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 gormless This is the least intentional of this trio of gormless, spray-and-pray LPs but perhaps the most layered and ambitious. Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026 There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2025 Ustinov hired him, though, as Stamp had unwittingly replicated Billy Budd’s gormless behavior. Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2025 Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves. Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024 Much of the movie unfolds inside the suburban Connecticut mansion where Lily lives with her gormless mother (Francie Swift) and her loathsome stepdad. Justin Chang, latimes.com, 8 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gormless
Adjective
  • In Erasmus’s view, cutting and pasting still basically yields a copy, and a very dumb one to boot.
    Mario Carpo, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • America’s Semiquincentennial was celebrated across the country this summer with big, dumb, gluttonous fun.
    Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • No one, in my opinion, comes close to this selfish, foul-mouthed and stupid showman.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Our business is stupid, but actors are the bomb / From Martindale to Milioti, my dad and my mom.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In fact, starting too early often has more downsides than taking it slow.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But so far, the economy has grown at roughly 2% annually, slower than the gains during the Biden administration.
    Josh Boak, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Underpinning this assessment is the fact that disagreements between the two nations have gradually expanded beyond simple tariff disputes.
    , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In simple terms, cherry juice targets the muscle inflammation caused by exercise, known as oxidative stress.
    Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The new sod being installed will come in thicker than what the existing sod was installed at.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Without any comparable examples, the thick squid butt remained in storage for nearly three decades.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 10 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Coach Sean McVay’s strategy of arriving the day before the game backfired and resulted in a dull performance by a team featuring some of the NFL’s biggest stars.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • If Khrzhanovsky’s goal was re-creating social and cultural conditions to capture drama at its purest, then the result merely proves Hitchcock’s refrain that drama is life with dull bits cut out.
    Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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