unintelligent

[uhn-in-tel-i-juhnt]

adjective

1. deficient in intelligence; dull; stupid.

   Even the most unintelligent intern knew how to operate this copy machine.

2. characterized by or proceeding from a lack of intelligence.

   No one will respect you as long as you go around making unintelligent remarks like that.

3. not endowed with the ability to think or reason.

   We should protect unintelligent life like trees and protozoa as well as intelligent life like humans and dolphins.

unintelligent

/ ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. lacking intelligence; stupid; foolish

2. not endowed with a mind or intelligence

Confusables Note

See stupid ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• unintelligence noun
• unintelligently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unintelligent¹

First recorded in 1600–10; un- ¹ + intelligent

Example Sentences

Just because entertainment is mindless, or an escape from whatever reality is outside the movie theater, doesn’t mean that it also has to be unintelligent, or treat its audience like they don’t deserve better.

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Kilmer’s notion that only the unintelligent could perceive him as difficult is striking in that it’s almost remarkably self-aware.

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The underlying assumption is that Black people as a group are stupid, dumb, unintelligent, inherently childlike and primitive, possess “bad culture” and in other ways are inferior to white people.

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The boys say the idea of going into a trade was not promoted at school as a desirable thing to do and was considered only for those seen as unintelligent.

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Trump limited his praise to Harris' physical appearance before launching into his usual attack on women of color, asserting that the former California senator and attorney is unintelligent.

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