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

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

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

From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026

“Look, I don’t want to be in your stupid club. Get over it,” I reply harshly.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

“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

"They will do what he did," Matsson says, referring to Logan, "but they will do it stupider and uglier and less amenable."

From Salon ● May 8, 2023

“I don’t expect he’s stupid enough to come back to the islands, but I’ve seen plenty of stranger and stupider things in my time.”

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

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

And why it’s the stupidest idea I ever thought of.

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles

stupid

Usage

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words