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Definitions

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:

But on Monday, a federal district court judge in Massachusetts postponed the effective date on the grounds that—and I am paraphrasing here—the rule is mind-bendingly stupid and would create a needless, self-inflicted economic catastrophe.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

This week, Root made no attempt to hide his frustration at "stupid mistakes".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 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

They could send him stupid letters all they wanted; it didn’t matter to him.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

“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

Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis

I will laugh at the stupidest stuff ever created—send me every video of a cat playing bagpipes on the porch—but this one was yuck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

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

Tino looked at me like I had just said the stupidest thing he had ever heard and I was the biggest loser he had ever met.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor