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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gormless
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
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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Napier got a one-year honeymoon until a Week 1 loss at Utah in 2023, the year when the Gators committed a silly amount of dumb penalties (including the original instance of two guys wearing the same jersey).—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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And when Sam cooks up a truly stupid scheme to make some quick cash, there’s little doubt a heavy like Mickey isn’t going to like it.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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There's a fine line between stupid and clever, indeed.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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During the prelims in Tokyo, Seville had a concerning slow reaction to the starting gun.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Parisian servers may have an undeserved reputation for being slow, but instead of complaining or searching for faster service elsewhere, settle in with a book or newspaper.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Their simple plan goes awry when one of their relatives wants a posh Korean wedding banquet in the heartfelt romantic comedy.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The inspiration The Copleys wanted a low-water garden that would be simple to care for.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The polished sateen set boasts a thick border in six color combinations to wake up a bedroom.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Sep. 2025
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To serve, top with thick, creamy Greek yogurt and vibrant fruits of choice, like raspberries, mangoes and blueberries.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Early on, the dull chamber music of the Ferrari 296’s wide-angle V6 gas-electric hybrid powertrain was roundly criticized.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Rather than efficiently dicing and slicing your produce, a dull knife actually requires more force, which can cause you or someone else in your household to get hurt.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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