1
as in fool
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
his silly antics at office parties have earned him a reputation as a simpleton
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
she felt like such a simpleton for needing help to install her home theater
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of simpleton
His competition was Forrest Gump, a feel-good studio drama that located America’s soul in a sweet simpleton played by Tom Hanks.
—
Michael Schulman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
Redmayne plays a creep; Henry, a yearner; Keoghan, a simpleton.
—Glenn Whippcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
Keoghan’s village simpleton, who becomes a poor substitute friend for Farrell’s character, is both delightfully weird and gradually gutting as the traumas of his upbringing become clearer.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2022
Savvy and simpleton investors alike could easily pick apart Snap’s latest quarterly data.
—Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for simpleton
Michael Schulman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2023
Redmayne plays a creep; Henry, a yearner; Keoghan, a simpleton.
—Glenn Whippcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
Keoghan’s village simpleton, who becomes a poor substitute friend for Farrell’s character, is both delightfully weird and gradually gutting as the traumas of his upbringing become clearer.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2022
Savvy and simpleton investors alike could easily pick apart Snap’s latest quarterly data.
—Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for simpleton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simpleton
Noun
-
And what kind of fool would write such an article?—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Start with a pastel pink French tip, then treat each nail as a canvas for delicate swan art (or opt for stickers for a fool-proof DIY).—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Friends with a sudden devotion to nature begin making plans to convene in parks; TurboTax becomes your closest email companion; your risk of injury at the hands of a lunatic on a City Bike, haunted by the memory of a New Year’s resolution to exercise, may increase.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Gangemi had spoken to an ornithologist at Cornell who said that the goose population would likely bounce back.—
Emma Allen,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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Stimulus from the One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 is projected to goose growth, with lower regulations and a boost in tax refunds that could help consumers cope with elevated prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This maniac should be removed from office.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Simpleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simpleton. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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