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
Relevance
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
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 simpleton
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
Turning what could have been merely a simpleton into a lost soul, Keoghan’s work here is vivid and heartbreaking.
—Glenn Whippentertainment Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 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
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
Turning what could have been merely a simpleton into a lost soul, Keoghan’s work here is vivid and heartbreaking.
—Glenn Whippentertainment Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 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
-
President Trump has repeatedly called Federal Reserve Board Chair Jerome Powell stupid, terrible, a fool, and referred to him as a person of average mentality.—
Mike Patton,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
That fool’s from my family’s hometown over there in Mexico.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
So, the parallel thing that I’ve been frustrated by recently is not just calling Trump stupid, but calling Trump voters stupid.—
Drew Broussard
May 22,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2025
-
Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The neck of a young Egyptian goose pierced by an arrow.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
-
Walter Valle brought his goose named Gilbert Ryan Gosling.—
Molly Gibbs,
Sacbee.com,
15 June 2025
Noun
-
At least his brand of evil maniac is kind of funny and endearing.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
-
The fact that death itself is the protagonist, rather than some mask-wearing homicidal maniac, is what gives these films their morbid allure.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Simpleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simpleton. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share