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

That was petulant, that was stupid and he could have cost his side.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

For the first half-hour or so I was reflexively covering the brake pedal at intersections and merging lanes, ready to engage if the super-intelligence at the wheel did something stupid.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Some of Ullom’s richest themes need only a casual mention, like Fisher muttering that he has fewer photos of his family on his phone than stupid memes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

“Yeah, that’s a crazy stupid thing,” Cassidy replied.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

The stupid fountain Regan had mentioned sat on the opposite side of campus from my dorm, and I picked up the pace.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

“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

“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

And talking to him in the stupidest voices,

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 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

Which may be the stupidest thing I’ve ever said to another human being, but it makes her laugh some more.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

stupid

Usage

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words