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Synonyms
- airhead
- birdbrain
- blockhead
- bonehead
- bubblehead
- chowderhead
- chucklehead
- clodpoll
- clodpole
- clot [British]
- cluck
- clunk
- cretin
- cuddy [British dialect]
- cuddie
- deadhead
- dimwit
- dip
- dodo
- dolt
- donkey
- doofus [slang]
- dope
- dork [slang]
- dullard
- dum-dum
- dumbbell
- dumbhead
- dummkopf
- dummy
- dunce
- dunderhead
- fathead
- gander
- golem
- goof
- goon
- half-wit
- hammerhead
- hardhead
- idiot
- ignoramus
- imbecile
- jackass
- know-nothing
- knucklehead
- lamebrain
- loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
- loon
- lump
- lunkhead
- meathead
- mome [archaic]
- moron
- mug [chiefly British]
- mutt
- natural
- nimrod [slang]
- nincompoop
- ninny
- ninnyhammer
- nit [chiefly British]
- nitwit
- noddy
- noodle
- numskull
- numbskull
- oaf
- pinhead
- prat [British]
- ratbag [chiefly Australian]
- saphead
- schlub [slang]
- shlub
- schnook [slang]
- simpleton
- stock
- stupe
- stupid
- thickhead
- turkey
- woodenhead
- yahoo
- yo-yo
Examples of dim bulb in a Sentence
He was considered something of a dim bulb by his coworkers.
Recent Examples on the Web
While there are dim bulbs in both parties, a special lighting area should be designed for Alabama Senator and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville.
—
Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023
Hamm's cop is on the case that involves moldy fast food, a deaf hitman and a bunch of dim bulbs not good at crimes.
—
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 June 2023
The lack of clarity produced by a dim bulb.
—
Pat Myers, Washington Post, 4 Aug. 2022
Davy Jones, a British vocalist, was the cute scamp; Micky Dolenz, the drummer and primary lead singer, was the wild jokester; and Peter Tork, the bass player, was the lovable dim bulb.
—
New York Times, 10 Dec. 2021
Paul Rudd, charming as always, is the title character in this 2011 comedy about a dim bulb who upends his sisters’ lives after he’s busted for selling pot to a cop.
—
Jim Kiest, ExpressNews.com, 22 Dec. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Word History
First Known Use
1927, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near dim bulb
Cite this Entry
“Dim bulb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dim%20bulb. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.
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