1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a dog so witless that it is barely trainable

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2

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 witless 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 By most accounts, Trump’s ground game—powered by the witless Musk—was a bit of a mess, but Harris’s professional field operation seems to have been helpless to stem the tide of Trump’s support. The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2024 But apparently, California just couldn’t abide this challenge to its primacy as the most witless state in the union. Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Sep. 2024 How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) To borrow Jeff Bridges’s description of the magazine that Simon Pegg’s character once ran, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People is witless. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for witless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witless
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
  • And some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans, fall into the net.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 July 2025
  • The film ends with Lady Susan setting herself up in a kind of throuple, although one member of the ménage is too stupid to be so informed.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 19 July 2025
Adjective
  • Without automation, errors are common and reimbursement is slow.
    Duke Chung, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Skin Conditions Dry, itchy skin, and wounds or cuts that are slow to heal can be a sign of hyperglycemia.
    Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Marlins would be foolish to trade away an ace with affordable team control at his lowest value ever.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
  • Schulman’s characters make enough foolish and self-indulgent choices to fill a volume twice the size of this slim one.
    Book Marks July 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Chris wore a simple navy blue polo shirt and khaki shorts combo, while Alexa showed off her growing bump in a white and blue floral dress — along with an Olympic logo necklace to complete her maternity style.
    Kayla Grant, People.com, 11 July 2025
  • Nearby is the kitchen, which is compact and simple as standard.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • This perky, self-aware, sarcastic and downright silly show caters to both the more traditional Goodspeed audiences.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 14 July 2025
  • Green Lantern is earnest and bright and, yeah, incredibly silly and a little embarrassing.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
Adjective
  • Residents are far from ignorant of Michigan’s law on train blockages.
    Ayah Imran, Freep.com, 18 July 2025
  • With the current events unfolding in the U.S. (as well as the ongoing struggle for People of Color), Hightower didn’t want to be ignorant of what was happening in their country.
    Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.
    Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
  • From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.
    Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 12 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Witless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witless. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

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