dunderhead

noun

dun·​der·​head ˈdən-dər-ˌhed How to pronounce dunderhead (audio)
dunderheaded adjective

Examples of dunderhead in a Sentence

wondered how long it would take the dunderheads at the head office to screw things up
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Back in 1848, being called a goose was like being called a dunderhead. Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 26 June 2024 But don't be too quick to write off these tiny critters as dunderheads. Avery Hurt, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 The story’s hero, Nat (no last name given) is a classic le Carré character, a skilled mid-level field operative in the secret British intelligence services who is underappreciated and sometimes abused by the dunderheads above him. Richard Lipez, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Dutch donder thunder + English head; akin to Old High German thonar thunder — more at thunder entry 1

First Known Use

1630, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dunderhead was in 1630

Dictionary Entries Near dunderhead

Cite this Entry

“Dunderhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dunderhead. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on dunderhead

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!