1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
his astounding feats of witlessness are the stuff of family legend
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thickness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
for sheer witlessness the movie's dialogue deserves some sort of award
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of witlessness
No, but the line captures the aristocracy’s witlessness.
—
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witlessness
Noun
-
In this world, at this time, a little insanity can go a long way.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Kennedy calls fortification ‘insanity’ That view contrasts sharply with critics — including some at the highest level of government — who regard fortification of the food supply as a form of government overreach.—
Jonel Aleccia,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Drawing at least in part on information from Chalker’s defectors, the Pentagon constructed life-size underground facsimiles of Iranian nuclear facilities where the scientists had worked, attempting to duplicate even the thickness of the walls.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The exact figure, of course, depends on the liquid’s viscosity (thickness).—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ice Cream Man follows an idyllic summer town descending into madness when an ice cream man serves kids sweet delights with horrifying results.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Mar. 2026
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The slasher takes place in an idyllic summer town that descends into madness when an ice cream man serves kids from his truck with horrifying results.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Japanese pickling methods, such as nukazuke (fermentation in rice bran), emphasized minimalism and balance, reflecting the cultural values of harmony and simplicity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The beauty of cafe curtains lies in their simplicity.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Smart, skilled, hardworking people gracefully put up with all manner of tragedy, stupidity, and institutional rot.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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Speaking of stupidity, Kathy, pay for the Second Ave.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All of this readily registers on Barry’s Dada-absurdity meter.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
What the Meme Revealed About Surgical Technology Beneath the absurdity, the grape videos demonstrated real capabilities.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Compare that to punk rock, which used dumbness as a tactic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This season Fears has shown both the maturity of the player who came back to discuss his actions with his head coach, and the foolishness of the hothead who responded with the hard foul.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
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There was no foolishness tolerated from him and, of course, Magic, his lieutenant.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Witlessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witlessness. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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