stupid 1 of 2

1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily we watched as the stupid squirrels tried unsuccessfully to find a way to get the seeds from the new bird feeder there are no stupid questions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest I can't believe we sat through the whole stupid movie

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3

stupid

2 of 2

noun

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a stupid question
a dumb question
a silly question
an idiotic question
a foolish question
a lame question
a stupid idea
a dumb idea
an idiotic idea
a bad idea
a terrible idea
a horrible idea
a stupid story
a dumb story
a silly story
a lame story
a bad story
a pointless story
a stupid war
a dumb war
an idiotic war
a foolish war
a senseless war
a pointless war

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective stupid contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stupid are crass, dense, dull, and dumb. While all these words mean "lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions," stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary.

stupid students just keeping the seats warm
stupid with drink

When is it sensible to use crass instead of stupid?

The words crass and stupid are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, crass suggests a grossness of mind precluding discrimination or delicacy.

a crass, materialistic people

When can dense be used instead of stupid?

Although the words dense and stupid have much in common, dense implies a thickheaded imperviousness to ideas.

too dense to take a hint

When is dull a more appropriate choice than stupid?

While in some cases nearly identical to stupid, dull suggests a slow or sluggish mind such as results from disease, depression, or shock.

monotonous work that leaves the mind dull

In what contexts can dumb take the place of stupid?

In some situations, the words dumb and stupid are roughly equivalent. However, dumb applies to an exasperating obtuseness or lack of comprehension.

too dumb to figure out what's going on

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 stupid
Adjective
Then the city came out and said this is stupid, get rid of the berms. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025 Come on, this n—a came on Kanye’s s–t and did stupid digits. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
But those options continue to be out of reach for the majority of those who are afflicted with this stupid, infuriating skin condition. Megan McIntyre, refinery29.com, 9 June 2022 Somebody who is dyslexic sometimes has this fear of being perceived as [stupid]. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2022 See All Example Sentences for stupid
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stupid
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
  • Then Saturday, Columbus sputtered to a disappointing (and boring) scoreless draw at home against the Houston Dynamo, one of the weakest MLS teams.
    Andrew King, Axios, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Literature that doesn’t contain its own version of this deal—literature that tries to freeze-frame reality instead of transmuting it—is often boring, even alienating.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Peter, though revered as an apostle worthy of veneration, is also portrayed in the Gospels as prone to mistakes, often foolish, and sometimes outright contradictory to God’s will.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The notion that women should be flawless multitaskers, managing a perfect home and career while never showing vulnerability or weakness is not only unrealistic, but also foolish.
    Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The 2024-25 Bruins are slow, short on skill, inconsistent on defense and diminished in net.
    Fluto Shinzawa, The Athletic, 8 Mar. 2025
  • But Donald Trump’s tariff attacks on Canada—and, even more, his insistence that the country should be incorporated as the fifty-first state—may halt this slow drift into the United States’ baleful orbit, at least for now.
    Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Follow the money: The stock market, for one, is tiring of such shenanigans.
    Felix Salmon, Axios, 7 Mar. 2025
  • In Aurora, voters seem to be tiring of two-term incumbent Republican Richard Irvin, who was the top vote getter but got just 38%.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • This will especially appeal to the silly preschoolers in the group!
    Amanda Rock, Parents, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Using medieval art as one resource, Ariès pointed out that children were often portrayed as miniature adults, without special attributes, such as plump features or silly behaviors, that might mark them as fundamentally different from their older counterparts.
    Anna Mae Duane, The Conversation, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • But there's a simple—and so easy-to-remember—method that will make the packing process easy every time: the 5-4-3-2-1 method.
    Alesandra Dubin, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Prioritizing fitness amid a busy travel schedule, the former Radio City Rockette and The Talk host says her outlook is simple.
    Meredith Lepore, Travel + Leisure, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Every year in the US, there are approximately 35,000 ER visits due to unintentional medication overdoses among children under 5 years old.
    Katia Hetter, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The other part of him, the innie, is for all intents and purposes 2 1/2 years old.
    Gary Levin, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stupid.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stupid. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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