stupid 1 of 2

1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily we watched as the stupid squirrels tried unsuccessfully to find a way to get the seeds from the new bird feeder there are no stupid questions

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest I can't believe we sat through the whole stupid movie

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

stupid

2 of 2

noun

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a stupid question
a dumb question
a silly question
an idiotic question
a foolish question
a lame question
a stupid idea
a dumb idea
an idiotic idea
a bad idea
a terrible idea
a horrible idea
a stupid story
a dumb story
a silly story
a lame story
a bad story
a pointless story
a stupid war
a dumb war
an idiotic war
a foolish war
a senseless war
a pointless war

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective stupid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupid are crass, dense, dull, and dumb. While all these words mean "lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions," stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary.

stupid students just keeping the seats warm
stupid with drink

When is it sensible to use crass instead of stupid?

The words crass and stupid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.

a crass, materialistic people

When can dense be used instead of stupid?

Although the words dense and stupid have much in common, dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.

too dense to take a hint

When is dull a more appropriate choice than stupid?

While in some cases nearly identical to stupid, dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.

monotonous work that leaves the mind dull

In what contexts can dumb take the place of stupid?

In some situations, the words dumb and stupid are roughly equivalent. However, dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.

too dumb to figure out what's going on

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 stupid
Adjective
What annoyed me was good old-fashioned stupid gameplay. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2025 What Trump unveiled Wednesday is stupid, wrong, arrogantly extreme, ignorant trade-wise and addressing a non-problem with misguided tools. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
Noun
It is described as a stupid-kids-in-the-woods story with a wry twist. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 20 Sep. 2022 But those options continue to be out of reach for the majority of those who are afflicted with this stupid, infuriating skin condition. Megan McIntyre, refinery29.com, 9 June 2022 See All Example Sentences for stupid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupid
Adjective
  • Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.
    Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
  • Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.
    Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
  • No more boring, irrelevant training modules—this is learning at the speed of work.
    Lisa Bodell, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The idea of the Nuggets claiming three more games in this series with Michael Porter Jr. scoring three points — on Denver’s first basket, no less — is foolish.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The first three days of the season took care of such foolish rookie thoughts and proved to be a humbling, but learning, experience.
    Thomas Weddle, Outdoor Life, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The company reaffirmed plans to launch an affordable model in early 2025, but warned the production ramp could be slower than expected.
    Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Global headline inflation is expected to decline at a slightly slower pace than what was expected in January.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • View 6 Images Reading and writing on regular tablets can be tiring for your eyes, which is where E Ink can help.
    Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Ultimately, many on the internet have identified this week as a particularly tiring one for Black K-pop fans.
    Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • But silly things like feelings and mental health don't matter to rebellion leader Luthen (Stellan Skarsgård), who wants results at any cost.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • This is one where the visual spectacle and weird fourth-wall-breaking sections stand head and shoulders above everything else, making for an extremely memorable adventure that embraces the silly side of Doctor Who.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Will people be more open and accept that a simple, inexpensive date isn’t the sign of low effort but rather a reflection of the economy none of us asked for?
    Myisha Battle, Time, 18 Apr. 2025
  • The simplest way, Studholme suggests, is to use one group of neutrals or a tone on tone graduation of the same color, such as Pigeon, Blue Gray, Muzzle and Cromarty from Farrow & Ball, for example.
    Ariel Okin, Vogue, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Not content just to confirm its arrival, Veach deftly sliced a slit in the plastic to minimize any potential forensic trail, removed the new game and swapped in the old version before carefully rewrapping it.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025
  • In contrast, older generations started saving much later, with boomers beginning at an average age of 37 and with plans to retire at 72.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stupid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupid. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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