as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
you're not unintelligent, so you must just be stubbornly resisting all attempts to teach you something
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unintelligent
And not because people are unintelligent — quite the opposite.
—
Jj Rosen, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The 32-year-old says she’s always been naturally curious, but as a child, school often left her feeling anxious and unintelligent.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintelligent
Jj Rosen, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Nov. 2025
The life of an unattractive and unintelligent young woman living in a dreary backwater in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
—New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
The 32-year-old says she’s always been naturally curious, but as a child, school often left her feeling anxious and unintelligent.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Even today, there are many settings in which the Christian faith is considered absurd, meant for the weak and unintelligent.
—Daniel Burke, NPR, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unintelligent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unintelligent
Adjective
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These dumb little kids were freaking bored.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2026
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The series will now be hosted by British comedian Jack Whitehall and the network has lined up a phalanx of celebrities aiming not to be the dumbest in the country.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Most big comedy shows at the fest had a strict no cellphones policy, Seinfeld was content with just reminding us that our friends are all sick of our stupid cellphone videos.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
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Don’t eat stupid food, don’t do music in the background.—
Terry Terrones,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Pool service can be a bit slow during busy times, but once your perfectly prepared daiquiri arrives, all is forgiven.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
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So future agreements could involve cooler normalisation, selective security cooperation, quieter diplomacy and a slower expansion.—
Chas Newkey-Burden,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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The useful answer may be simpler than expected once the real priority becomes obvious.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
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The decor with sheepskin rugs and arm lamps for reading lights is neither flashy nor overtly quirky, but simple and homey, as if it were designed by a tasteful Scandinavian grandmother who relocated to the wilds of Patagonia.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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But even for someone like myself, totally ignorant to the lore and not really seeking to change that, the Star Wars universe can look genuinely interesting, and some games every now and then manage to tap into that potential.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
30 Apr. 2026
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Jahmil Eady – Freaky As gentrifiers take over her neighborhood, a Gullah Geechee woman, Annabelle (Melanie Nicholls-King) calls on ancestral knowledge, which has dire consequences for the newcomers who have begun to take over the land, ignorant of its history.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Pantelleria Closer to Tunisia than mainland Italy, Pantelleria is a remote volcanic island dotted with traditional dammusi, thick-walled, domed stone dwellings built to keep out the heat.—
Nicky Swallow,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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Rodriguez Singh appeared behind the thick visitation glass, just feet away, seemingly prepared to talk.—
Doug Dunbar,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unintelligent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unintelligent. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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