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
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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
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But Cramer said that is a fool’s errands as the market seemingly changes its tune each quarter.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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Of course, comparing the bottle in question to contemporary releases is a fool’s errand—this was something different entirely.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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That Tomás, who has already survived the Great Hunger as well as a cruel workhouse, isn’t already a lunatic is perhaps less fantastical than the plot itself at times.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
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Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Noun
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There is nothing in the past year that suggests that the portion of this global event that will take place in the U.S. will proceed with anything less than exhausting chaos, a spoonful of stupid, and a dash of tragedy.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Jan. 2026
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And then, the rest of her life, filled with big stupids and everything else, will begin.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
19 Nov. 2025
Noun
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That Monday afternoon, Kitterman was goose hunting in the area with five friends, KSDK reported.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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But those synergies and efforts to goose company revenue were not enough to outpace costs; the company was losing about $500,000 a year.—
Paul Flahive,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, unexpected and decidedly unwelcome guests keep turning up, including Beau’s brother, and a man who might be a homicidal maniac.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
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Not the fear of an actor out of her element, or the more mundane fear of a victim being chased around by an ax-wielding maniac.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Simpleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simpleton. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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