1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a dog so witless that it is barely trainable
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a witless decision to relocate to the other side of the country without even the prospect of a job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of witless
Austin doesn't even seem to register his witless neighbor's lack of social skills until Craig punches his lights out—supposedly in fun—during a guys' night get-together.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
Bruno Guimaraes made it 4-1 when Joelinton intercepted a witless clearance from Altay Bayindir.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The federal government, in all its wisdom, is once again gearing up to save the witless American people from themselves.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025
But this latest effort, premiering on Prime Video, proves a relentlessly vulgar and witless affair that not even the talents of stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon and a comedically gifted supporting cast can rescue.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for witless
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 9 May 2025
Bruno Guimaraes made it 4-1 when Joelinton intercepted a witless clearance from Altay Bayindir.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The federal government, in all its wisdom, is once again gearing up to save the witless American people from themselves.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 3 Jan. 2025
But this latest effort, premiering on Prime Video, proves a relentlessly vulgar and witless affair that not even the talents of stars Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon and a comedically gifted supporting cast can rescue.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for witless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witless
Adjective
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Paige is little more than a dumb blonde stereotype, another underwritten female character in Sheridan’s growing oeuvre, but Chapman laces her babyish whining with surprising bite, while showing a knack for physical comedy.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2026
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How did an Ivy League grad from Penn get so dumb?—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of all the live-action shows made by Adult Swim, Three Busy Debras is the most cartoonish; its world is as elastic and stupid as any Chuck Jones Looney Tunes joint.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
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Anyone who says anything else is stupid or lying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Experiencing that life cycle of knowing where my food comes from and watching my uncles do the butchering and then eating it the same day through slow roasting was really impactful for me as a kid.—
Claire Salinda,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps both movements could have animated each other; perhaps the subsequent fight for women’s suffrage would have been less sporadic and slow.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Your fast response and decisive actions prevented this foolish criminal act from endangering the rest of the county.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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The limited series feels equally foolish, down to its last line of narration.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The rooms Hotel Thaynes has 128 guest rooms, including six king suites, each designed for simple mountain stays with subtle pops of colors.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 Mar. 2026
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Such a vote — which is bound to fail but would put senators on the record — differs from using a simple majority to change the Senate rules, a vote a senator could force after an unsuccessful vote to break a filibuster.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Just cultivating and just feeding that division and those just absolute silly fights.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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The point is not to sell her business, not to get more followers, not to create a cult of her own; the point is looking at interpersonal dynamics, getting into conflicts, resuming those conflicts, and then sometimes doing silly things after drinking too much rosé.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Having access to knowledge and being able to collectively reflect are rights too precious to surrender to those who prefer us ignorant.—
Megan Thiele Strong,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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What’s going on is that the bank and its customer service reps are ignorant of the law.—
Liz Weston,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The government thinks this is absurd.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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The movie is also surreal, absurd and crowd-pleasingly funny.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Witless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witless. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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