1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
some half-wit had left the gate open, and all the sheep had gotten loose
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
even a half-wit knows that ice cream melts if it's not in the freezer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of half-wit
If one president can pardon his half-brother, then another president can pardon his half-wit son.
—
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-wit
Noun
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Even then, though, the popular take — the story of the lunatics taking over asylum — didn’t sit right with me.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
23 Feb. 2026
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Arguing with the guru, it was said, was a fool’s response, like kicking gold.—
Blair Glaser,
Fortune,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
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The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
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But the new parking fees at Balboa Park are a whole new level of stupid.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Hitting out at its northern neighbour, the White House posted an image of an American bald eagle trampling a Canadian goose.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
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The White House post on Sunday topped Trudeau’s comments with an image of what appeared to be an eagle attacking a Canadian goose.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many Americans believe White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland-security adviser Stephen Miller is a cruel, ruthless maniac intent on turning the country into an authoritarian ethno-state.—
John Ficarra,
Air Mail,
14 Feb. 2026
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However, unexpected and decidedly unwelcome guests keep turning up, including Beau’s brother, and a man who might be a homicidal maniac.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Half-wit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-wit. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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