1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
was arrested for the sheer imbecility of speeding down a dark road with no headlights on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
we were stunned by the imbecility of the ideas presented by this once-respected biologist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imbecility
Noun
-
Without it, the dancers might not have known the insanity of their current moment.—
Philip Tinari,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025 -
Smith’s attorneys argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, records show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
While flooding the zone with executive orders and breaking news in the form of planned chaos, there is generally a method to the madness.—
W. James Antle III,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
26 Mar. 2025
-
With so many frequent flier programs to choose from, is there a method to the madness?—
Vinod Sreeharsha,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The ambiguity, the exaltation and sarcastic self-parody, the gloom alternating with a yearning for simplicity and even for redemption—all of that reflected the split consciousness of Jews who could never belong and turned revenge upon themselves.—
David Denby,
The Atlantic,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Or, to be more precise, Marclay’s execution reveals that the concept contains unforeseeable complexity underlying its simplicity.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Sure, The Critic had its fair sure of absurdity (one character was from Easter Island and bore a striking resemblance to a moai statue), but the New York in which it was set felt real in a way that Springfield or Quahog never did.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Featuring intertwining narratives of doctors and patients, the film also includes a group of doctors-turned-comedians who use humor to highlight the absurdities of the system.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Ok, the seven regional trains were just travelling stupidity on my part.—
David Rae,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The blatant stupidity of what is being done by our country‘s executive leadership is staggering.—
Lisa P. Rimland,
Hartford Courant,
17 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Imbecility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imbecility. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share