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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Recent Examples of gormless
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
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 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
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
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 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
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Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
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How did an Ivy League grad from Penn get so dumb?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
End these stupid, senseless wars.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Most of the films that came after are ridiculous and stupid.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Engineers have developed a simple strategy to help robots remain stable while repairing satellites in orbit by using a second robotic arm to counterbalance movements.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Mar. 2026
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Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Often called the Butterfly Nebula or the Bug Nebula, this object displays a striking structure involving two bright gas lobes extending in opposite directions, separated by a thick, dusty ring—known as a torus—around the central star.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Mar. 2026
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Remove thick, dense piles of wet and matted leaves, or consider gently fluffing them up with a rake.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The news went wild on Twitter, with people meme-ing the hell out of the exceedingly dull headline.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
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If your home is primarily filled with neutrals and feels a bit dull, try introducing a few colorful accents.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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