Definitions

stupid

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

ADJECTIVE

not intelligent; irresponsible

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dull dumb foolish futile ill-advised irrelevant laughable ludicrous naive senseless shortsighted simple trivial

STRONG

dummy loser rash thick unintelligent

WEAK

brainless dazed deficient dense dim doltish dopey gullible half-baked half-witted idiotic imbecilic inane indiscreet insensate meaningless mindless moronic nonsensical obtuse out to lunch pointless puerile simpleminded slow sluggish stolid stupefied thick-headed unthinking witless

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bright careful intelligent prudent reasonable sensible serious sharp smart thoughtful wise

WEAK

cognizant responsible

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.

But that might be its genius: Everything feels less frightening when it presents as unbelievably stupid.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

Either the people making that argument are really, really stupid, or else they think the rest of us are.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026

Complainant B said it had been a "stupid" thing to say.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Par for the course, maybe, but the episode was so grossly stupid, it gave birth to a resolution by scientists to stop feeding the media worst-case scenarios to misrepresent.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

He wasn’t actually sorry, because Janie’s interest was stupid.

From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold

stupid

Usage

Example Sentences

Related Words