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pointy-headed

American  
[poin-tee-hed-id] / ˈpɔɪn tiˌhɛd ɪd /

adjective

Slang: Usually Disparaging.
  1. stupid; idiotic.

  2. intellectual, especially in a self-important or impractical way.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of pointy-headed

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75

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:

With his tiny head and rumpled feathers, Tuffy appeared like an ungroomed, pointy-headed bichon frisé next to Lola, who seemed more Rottweiler.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 23, 2023

This is going to sound really pointy-headed, but I came to understand that metaphor, as we understand it in fiction, isn't something that lives in books.

From Salon May 26, 2020

Jim Crow was defeated in the courts, not at the polls — as it happens, by pointy-headed civil rights lawyers.

From Washington Post Jun. 12, 2017

But, as Mrs. Hughes says, enough with the pointy-headed philosophizing.

From New York Times Jan. 31, 2016

“We were able to show them that those pointy-headed Dilbert caricatures actually make a difference to their jobs,” says Jennifer Kurkoski, a PiLab analyst.

From Slate Jan. 21, 2013

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