dumb

[ duhm ]

/ dʌm /

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See synonyms for: dumb / dumber / dumbest / dumbly on Thesaurus.com

adjective, dumb·er, dumb·est.

lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted.

lacking the power of speech (offensive when applied to humans): a dumb animal.

temporarily unable to speak: dumb with astonishment.

refraining from any or much speech; silent.

made, done, etc., without speech.

lacking some usual property, characteristic, etc.

performed in pantomime; mimed.

Computers. pertaining to the inability to do processing locally: A dumb terminal can input, output, and display data, but cannot process it.Compare intelligent (def. 4).

Nautical.

(of a barge) without means of propulsion.
(of any craft) without means of propulsion, steering, or signaling.

Verb Phrases

dumb down, Informal. to make or become less intellectual, simpler, or less sophisticated: to dumb down a textbook; American movies have dumbed down.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dumb

First recorded before 1000; Old English; cognate with Old Norse dumbr, Gothic dumbs, Old Saxon dumb, Old High German tump, German dumm

usage note for dumb

Dumb in the sense “lacking the power of speech” is perceived as insulting when describing humans (but not animals), probably because dumb also means “stupid; dull-witted.” The noun dummy in the sense “person who lacks the power of speech” is also perceived as insulting, as are the terms deaf-and-dumb, deaf-mute, and mute. The adjective hard of hearing is acceptable though not the term of choice, partly because it lacks directness. The preferred term is deaf, which makes no reference to an inability to speak or communicate; the capitalized word Deaf signals membership in this community.

OTHER WORDS FROM dumb

dumb·ly, adverbdumb·ness, nounqua·si-dumb, adjectivequa·si-dumb·ly, adverb

Words nearby dumb

duly, duma, Dumaguete, Dumas, Du Maurier, dumb, dumb ague, Dumbarton, Dumbarton Oaks, dumb-ass, dumb barter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dumb in a sentence

Law enforcement really just said, “You know, this is a dumb woman, and she’s the only one that got screwed over, and it’s just not that important.”
“People want to believe”: How Love Fraud builds an absorbing docuseries around a romantic con man|Alissa Wilkinson|September 4, 2020|Vox
It seems dumb to walk away from something I’m relatively successful at when I’m not qualified to do anything else, especially right now.
Social Media Feels Increasingly Toxic. What Do I Do?|Blair Braverman|August 29, 2020|Outside Online
In some ways, paintings portraits is really dumb and painting portraits of hundreds of people is ridiculous.
A Closer Look at the Public Art at Chicago Police Stations|by Logan Jaffe|August 21, 2020|ProPublica
The dumbest way ever to secretly benefit a campaign contributor is to buy a building with that contributor’s name on it.
How the City Came to Lease a Lemon|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|August 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego

You’ll probably think this question is dumber than dumb, a waste of neurons.
Does the President Matter as Much as You Think? (Ep. 404)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 6, 2020|Freakonomics
However, not all awful, astoundingly dumb political memes are created equal.
Political Memes That Absolutely Must Die in 2015|Asawin Suebsaeng|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“Which proves he is as dumb as a bag of hammers,” the official says.
Protesters Slimed This Good Samaritan Cop|Michael Daly|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Does it matter whether Taylor Swift wants me to inflate my Internet notoriety by doing a dumb thing where I lip sync to her music?
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer|Arthur Chu|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The way I film is based on the assumption that the audience is as smart and dumb as I am.
Inside The Secret World of London’s National Gallery|Tim Teeman|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I thought I was going to have to dumb it down for this folk-pop singer.
Herbie Hancock Holds Forth|David Yaffe|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sound of my step shall make your heart jump; a look from me shall make you dumb for an hour.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Her female friend immediately said, "Well, I have been talking away to this dumb man."
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Sometimes dumb-bells, compact sheaves of fine needles, and irregular rhizome forms are seen (Fig. 40).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
They ain't noways dumb to each other, I notice; an' we air dumb aourselves when we air ketched with furriners.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant: dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things, sleeping and loving dreams.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

British Dictionary definitions for dumb

dumb

/ (dʌm) /

adjective

lacking the power to speak, either because of defects in the vocal organs or because of hereditary deafness

lacking the power of human speechdumb animals

temporarily lacking or bereft of the power to speakstruck dumb

refraining from speech; uncommunicative

producing no sound; silenta dumb piano

made, done, or performed without speech

informal

slow to understand; dim-witted
foolish; stupidSee also dumb down

(of a projectile or bomb) not guided to its target

Derived forms of dumb

dumbly, adverbdumbness, noun

Word Origin for dumb

Old English; related to Old Norse dumbr, Gothic dumbs, Old High German tump

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

dumb

Origin of dumb

usage note for dumb

OTHER WORDS FROM dumb

Words nearby dumb

Words related to dumb

How to use dumb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dumb

Derived forms of dumb

Word Origin for dumb