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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Then the reviews, of course, completely dismissed me as being like some old dumb blonde thing.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Basically all that's left for the dumb human to do when using the all-new Arrowmax Arrowspace S1 electric smart driver is dropping the bit in the tip and holding the driver steady – the S1 takes care of everything else.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • Serene predictions are a mug’s game, foolish in the extreme, whether they are based on polls or magical thinking.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The Kilplased, the foolish yet industrious folk, are making a film about themselves!
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • As stupid and trad as the wife-in-the-kitchen expectation is, that’s just a surface issue.
    — Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Billionaires presumably didn't become billionaires by being stupid, and only the supremely stupid could fail to see what's coming in California.
    — Bradley Gitz, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • What became apparent to us was that the game was like a sponge for silly ideas.
    — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2026
  • This week was packed with pre-midterm drama, of which only the silliest is in the quiz.
    — Holly J. Morris, NPR, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Stuttering drum patterns and elastic basslines rub up against glossy keyboards and slow piano chords, blending early 2000s sounds with the futuristic sensuality of Kelela.
    — Precious Fondren, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
  • On the earnings growth front, while emerging markets on average are expected to deliver a 45% improvement, India's forecast is much slower at 11%, as per Bernstein.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • At the start of this election cycle, the notion that Democrats would seriously compete in such deep-red bastions as Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas would have seemed absurd.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
  • For the second of two F--- Cancer gigs, Reynoso has racked up a gloriously absurd 13 local bands on one madcap, rapid-fire club bill, where each will swarm the stage rig to plug in and play 10-minute sets before giving way to the next act.
    — Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • According to Fulton County jail records, New has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • For this black jeans outfit idea, wear your go-to pair with a simple, breathable Oxford shirt that’s ideal for the office or dinner dates alike.
    — India Roby, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Hats off to The Daily Show for name-dropping a specific insane cheesecake varietal.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But looking for some sort of explanation or path for your favorite team to follow is insane.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 7 Nov. 2026.

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