1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
was arrested for the sheer imbecility of speeding down a dark road with no headlights on
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
we were stunned by the imbecility of the ideas presented by this once-respected biologist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of imbecility
When Constanze reaches her breaking point, Mozart’s imbecility is exposed as fragility.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imbecility
Noun
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Attached to it is a video of Andrea Yates, the real Texas woman who drowned her five children amid an episode of postpartum psychosis and was found not guilty by reason of insanity, per the New York Times.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Mar. 2026
-
To punish her company is an act of insanity.—
Maer Roshan,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Chiefs lost safety Bryan Cook to the Bengals in the early madness of the negotiating window Monday.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The two have been good friends ever since and Peterman knows exactly how to help her friend get through the planning and organizational madness that comes with planning a wedding.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Something about the simplicity of that, coupled with the canyon’s display of deep time, reminded me how small and temporary my own existence was, and therefore how precious.—
Rosecrans Baldwin,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Some approaches to astrophotography emphasize simplicity and portability, while others reward patience and precision.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Outside of moments like this, however, such playful absurdity is often absent.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
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This is not Margot Robbie eating a giant strawberry in Wuthering Heights, a choice that aims for delightful absurdity but ultimately feels mannered.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Any who show up are declaring their indelible stupidity and misogyny.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
24 Feb. 2026
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As to the famous fine line between stupid and clever, the stupidity and the cleverness are all but inextricable, and to the point.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Imbecility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imbecility. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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