as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
trying to get that many people to agree on anything was pure idiocy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of idiocy
That’s the level of idiocy in the Los Angeles city government.
—
Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Gunther and Tig are two billionaire failsons who have wasted countless opportunities and cash chasing the stupidest ideas and who get rewarded over and over again for their idiocy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Susan Shelley, Daily News, 13 May 2026
The idiocy of these people knows no bounds.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
There’s a heartwarming idiocy to their pursuit, yet what festers underneath is their inability to process grief consciously and the fear that those who deem their existence meaningless might be right.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Gunther and Tig are two billionaire failsons who have wasted countless opportunities and cash chasing the stupidest ideas and who get rewarded over and over again for their idiocy.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2026
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiocy
Noun
-
Adair Fish pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity on May 4, a spokesperson with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said.—
Laura Bauer
June 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
-
The Dutchman pleaded guilty to the murder charges, claiming temporary insanity.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
But consider the absurdity of applying that logic to human beings.—
Ion Stoica,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
-
For all of Titanique's camp absurdity, the show's internal logic is airtight.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Nobody doggedly builds a stand-up career that takes them from clubs to theaters to selling out arena tours from a foundation of genuine stupidity.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
-
And not just because one of the leading contestants torched himself and his political livelihood in a bonfire of hubris and stupidity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idiocy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiocy. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
