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
-
This game makes fools of us all.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
But while that conversation was happening upstairs, Brian was downstairs making a fool of her yet again.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The lunatics are running the asylum.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Will Arnett and other lunatics round out the cast.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
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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While there’s no denying that gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) is a charming plant with sweet white flowers that resemble a goose's neck, it's also widely recognized as a troublesome invasive.—
Samantha Johnson,
Martha Stewart,
7 June 2026
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This typically gets worse over time and is often accompanied by a harsh goose-honking cough triggered by excitement or exercise.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
Noun
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The Martin Lawrence vehicle Martin, which ran for five glorious seasons, offered a terrific platform for Lawrence to run around like a maniac as an energetic radio DJ.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
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Donald also had a reputation for being a maniac about taking care of his body and staying in shape.—
Armando Salguero,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Simpleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simpleton. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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