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stupid

[stoo-pid, styoo‑] / ˈstu pɪd, ˈstju‑ /


Usage

What are other ways to say stupid? The adjective stupid implies natural slowness or dullness of intellect, or, sometimes, a benumbed or dazed state of mind; it is also used to mean foolish or silly: He was rendered stupid by a blow; It is stupid to do such a thing. Foolish implies a lack of common sense or good judgment or, sometimes, a weakness of mind: a foolish decision; The child seems foolish. Fatuous implies being not only foolish, dull, and vacant in mind, but complacent and highly self-satisfied as well: fatuous and self-important; fatuous answers. Silly denotes extreme and conspicuous foolishness; it may also refer to pointlessness of jokes, remarks, etc.: silly and senseless behavior; a perfectly silly statement. Inane applies to silliness that is notably lacking in content, sense, or point: inane questions that leave one with no reply. Asinine originally meant like an ass; it applies to witlessly stupid conversations or conduct and suggests a lack of social grace or perception: He failed to notice the reaction to his asinine remarks.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the footage, officers can be heard calling the defendant's actions "stupid".

From BBC Jul. 10, 2026

Shockingly, the letter seems to be pushing for a return to standardized tests by, in effect, arguing that a growing percentage of their students are simply too stupid to succeed, no matter what professors do.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 8, 2026

Afterwards she could have been thinking, “That was a stupid thing to say!”

From MarketWatch Jul. 1, 2026

That’s most likely to happen not because you’re stupid or greedy, but because you’re vulnerable—and because the con artist knows exactly how to fabricate trustworthiness.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 30, 2026

But a few minutes later, Lou Ann’s stupid haircut looks way cool.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

“I was a bit stupider back then,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 28, 2026

Harris was also tasked with responding to Trump’s second lie, which was subtler but stupider.

From Slate Sep. 11, 2024

“When they need to make stupid stupider, they send me up. I’m part comedian, I’m part activist, I’m part artist. I just want a better society,” Stevens said.

From Seattle Times Apr. 16, 2024

Other news reports more definitively declared that, yes, ChatGPT is becoming stupider.

From Scientific American Aug. 2, 2023

But Nenny, who is stupider, already is asking how much and I can see her fingers going for the quarters in her pants pocket.

From "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros

A cartoon maritime odyssey, powered by what Ricky Wilson called "the stupidest riff you ever heard", it became one of the first independent hits on the American new wave scene, selling more than 20,000 copies.

From BBC Mar. 17, 2026

Some pundits might be calling it “the most important chart in the world,” Perkins said, but in reality, it is closer to “the stupidest chart in the world.”

From MarketWatch Nov. 6, 2025

That’s “completely bogus,” writes TS Lombard Managing Director Dario Perkins, who calls it “the stupidest chart in the world.”

From Barron's Nov. 6, 2025

That is one of the stupidest things I’ve heard.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 27, 2025

Diaz Castellano looked at me as if I had asked the stupidest question in the world.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann




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