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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-witted
Adjective
-
This is a dumb move by both parties.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026 -
Amazon is reportedly considering a dumb phone design to make this an additional device people would use alongside their typical Android phone or iPhone, rather than competing to become their main handset.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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The limited series feels equally foolish, down to its last line of narration.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Of all the live-action shows made by Adult Swim, Three Busy Debras is the most cartoonish; its world is as elastic and stupid as any Chuck Jones Looney Tunes joint.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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Anyone who says anything else is stupid or lying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In retaliation, Afroman released several songs about the experience, made music videos using his security-cam footage, and generally was a silly goose about the whole thing.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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This confident Yale Rep production follows Ionesco’s lead by being very clear about its point but relentlessly silly while making it.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This chaged profile results in improved satiety and a slower blood sugar spike.—
Jahnavi Rapaka,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
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That alone would create a challenging year for water managers, who rely on slow and steady snowmelt to feed streams, rivers and reservoirs and meet spring and summer demand for irrigation and drinking water.—
Mira Rojanasakul,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Shawn Hatosy is particularly feral here, injecting real menace into an otherwise absurd premise.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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The deadpan one-liners exaggerating his strength, speed and toughness to absurd levels, turned Norris into one of the internet’s first global memes.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The rooms Hotel Thaynes has 128 guest rooms, including six king suites, each designed for simple mountain stays with subtle pops of colors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
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Such a vote — which is bound to fail but would put senators on the record — differs from using a simple majority to change the Senate rules, a vote a senator could force after an unsuccessful vote to break a filibuster.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As often happens with Furze’s inventions, one wonders whether this goes beyond a mad backyard YouTube experiment.—
Omar Kardoudi
March 22,
New Atlas,
22 Mar. 2026
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The book is mad, and all the madder for being unsmilingly sincere.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Half-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-witted. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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