dumb

[duhm]

adjective

dumber, dumbest 

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

2. lacking the power of speech (offensive when applied to humans).

   a dumb animal.

3. temporarily unable to speak.

   dumb with astonishment.

4. refraining from any or much speech; silent.

5. made, done, etc., without speech.

6. lacking some usual property, characteristic, etc.

7. performed in pantomime; mimed.

8. Computers.,  pertaining to the inability to do processing locally.

   A dumb terminal can input, output, and display data, but cannot process it.

9. Nautical.

   1. (of a barge) without means of propulsion.

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

verb phrase

1. dumb down,  to make or become less intellectual, simpler, or less sophisticated.

   to dumb down a textbook; American movies have dumbed down.

dumb

/ dʌm /

adjective

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

2. lacking the power of human speech

   dumb animals

3. temporarily lacking or bereft of the power to speak

   struck dumb

4. refraining from speech; uncommunicative

5. producing no sound; silent

   a dumb piano

6. made, done, or performed without speech

7. informal

   1. slow to understand; dim-witted

   2. foolish; stupid See also dumb down

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

Sensitive Note

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 Word Forms

• dumbly adverb
• dumbness noun
• quasi-dumb adjective
• quasi-dumbly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of dumb¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dumb¹

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

Example Sentences

Sony and Cox provide conflicting narratives, but Cox has the better argument that dumb tubes shouldn’t be legally responsible for their users’ wrongdoing.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A shrewd trader long ago said the stock market is where smart people think of ways to take money from dumb people.

Read more on Barron's

A shrewd trader long ago said the stock market is where smart people think of ways to take money from dumb people.

Read more on Barron's

The innocent-faced O’Connor excels at crooks and suckers and fittingly, his Jud describes himself as “young, dumb and full of Christ.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Among the zaniness there’s an emotional arc, a dance of personal growth and backsliding, and depending on what the scene requires, he might be the dumbest guy in the room or the wisest.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dull 
• foolish