stupid

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

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.

See Examples For:

stupid stupider stupidest

This might sound harsh, but I think that logic is, flatly, stupid.

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

Daniel Travers, defending, said Owen's plan was "frighteningly stupid for a man ostensibly reasonably well educated and intelligent".

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

To adapt Democratic political consultant James Carville, it’s the policy, stupid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

But no editor in the world could recut something like “Gail Daughtry” into a two-minute preview that accurately conveys just how joyous and stupid this film is.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

While normally frustrating Elliot was one of my favorite pastimes, today it just made me feel stupid.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

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

From Scientific American ● Aug. 2, 2023

Otherwise, the whole room gets stupider and stupider.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2023

What could he say: I thought up an even stupider conspiracy than yours, and even though I can’t prove it’s true, I’m still afraid it will kill you?

From Slate ● Sep. 24, 2022

“I won it fair and square from the Elkton boys up the street. I got a pair of boots out of it as well. You never seen a couple of stupider boys.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

This is the stupidest thing I’ve done in recent memory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 21, 2025

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

Kindra rolls her eyes at me like she’s just been asked to do the stupidest thing in the world.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

stupid

Usage

Example Sentences

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Related Words