gormless

American  

[gawrm-lis] / ˈgɔrm lɪs /

adjective

Chiefly British Informal.

1. lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, or clumsy.

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gormless British  

/ ˈɡɔːmlɪs /

adjective

1. informal stupid; dull

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Usage

What does gormless mean? Gormless is a slang word meaning stupid, dull, or clumsy. Gormless is typically applied to people (and sometimes their actions). It is chiefly used in the U. K. Example: I feel totally gormless whenever I make a silly mistake like that.

Etymology

Origin of gormless

First recorded in 1740–50; respelling of earlier gaumless, from Northern English and Scots dialect gaum “heed, attention” (from Old Norse gaumr ) + -less

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gormless

This is the least intentional of this trio of gormless, spray-and-pray LPs but perhaps the most layered and ambitious.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

The Guardian's Stuart Heritage was less impressed by the performance, declaring it "gormless", "deeply and unsettlingly confusing" and "one of the all-time great berserk musical performances ever seen".

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2023

Now, there are enough thoughtful screen examinations of racial politics along with normalized visions of inclusive casting to make "You People" stand out as a gormless throwback.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2023

The thing is, though, despite its nauseating title and its fully male perspective, this is a dramatically rich and nuanced film – and really not the gormless sexist mess it might have been.

From The Guardian ● Nov. 29, 2019

But Mr and Mrs Wormwood were both so gormless and so wrapped up in their own silly little lives that they failed to notice anything unusual about their daughter.

From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

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