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Synonyms

witless

American  
[wit-lis] / ˈwɪt lɪs /

adjective

  1. lacking wit or intelligence; stupid; foolish.

witless British  
/ ˈwɪtlɪs /

adjective

  1. lacking wit, intelligence, or sense; stupid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • witlessly adverb
  • witlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of witless

before 1000; Middle English; Old English witlēas. See wit 1, -less

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.

Yet the subtext is less important than the surface: The movie is simply a witless bore.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

I’m not talking about crazy uncles who ruin your Thanksgiving dinner; they’ve been crude and witless since the time you were a little kid who avoided them.

From Salon • Oct. 20, 2024

And it’s, hands down, one of the most witless acts perpetuated at the hands of today’s parents.

From Washington Times • Feb. 15, 2023

At the height of their fame, these witless pop culture icons even presented at the 1997 Academy Awards, just months after their first big-screen outing, “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America,” opened in theaters.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2022

We didn’t feel it—we were just startled witless by the bang.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.