doltish

American  

[dohl-tish] / ˈdoʊl tɪʃ /

adjective

1. dull or stupid; slow-witted; thickheaded.

   Most of what has been posted on this thread is embarrassingly simple-minded, doltish stuff.

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Other Word Forms

• doltishly adverb
• doltishness noun

Etymology

Origin of doltish

First recorded in 1540–50; dolt ( def. ) + -ish ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Though the movie rockets Judge’s doltish heroes into the future, it feels like a charming artifact from the past.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2022

Before Viktor's transition, he and Allison had toasted to being sisters among brothers, able to share secrets with each other they couldn't possibly trust with their doltish or heartless siblings.

From Salon • Jun. 23, 2022

A social-climbing stepmother and a doltish Babbitt of a father use the newly minted petrodollars to grease their entry into Dallas nouveau riche society.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2020

In 1830, Alexander Pushkin used that rumor as the basis for his play “Mozart and Salieri,” casting the former as a doltish genius and the latter as a jealous schemer.

From The New Yorker • May 27, 2019

He thought of himself as slow, doltish, conservative, uninspired.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck