half-witted

adjective

Definition of half-wittednext
1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily the young genius mastered calculus while his peers, who seemed half-witted in comparison, labored over basic addition and subtraction

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment had the half-witted idea to try to swim across the raging river, and would have drowned if someone hadn't rescued him

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-witted
  1. dumb
  2. foolish
  3. stupid
  4. silly
  5. slow
  6. absurd
  7. simple
  8. insane
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
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • That game is too important, and holding someone back for a hypothetical Game 3 might be foolish regardless.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But Americans would be foolish to think that Washington is anywhere near solving this problem.
    — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of foolish
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
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • That was a valuable lesson as the previous season, silly errors and lapses in concentration led to the side conceding goals that hamstrung their title ambitions.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Seen as silly, shrunken, and impractical, it’s considered the full-sugar Coca-Cola of jackets—all empty calories, no nutritional value.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of silly
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
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • Every once in a while, a professional athlete will do something so absurd on the field that people will question if the athlete is from this world.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Brizé weaves between these absurd moments and two slow-simmering crises that cause Carla to begin doubting her diehard commitment to work.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of absurd
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
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • My first two videos each passed 100,000 views, which felt absolutely insane for a brand-new channel.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The crack epidemic in America, especially in Bed-Stuy, was insane, so that really implanted into my brain.
    — Selome Hailu, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of insane
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.

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half-wits
half-witted
half-wittedness
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Cite this Entry

“Half-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-witted. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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