dumbo

American

[duhm-boh] / ˈdʌm boʊ /

noun

plural

dumbos

a stupid person.

a class full of dumbos.

adjective

stupid or foolish.

What a dumbo idea!

dumbo British

/ ˈdʌmbəʊ /

noun

slang a slow-witted unintelligent person

"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

Etymology

Origin of dumbo

Probably earlier than 1955–60; dumb + -o

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.

You’d be better off joking about his gigantic dumbo ears or his mole instead of impugning the very idea of human kindness.

From The Guardian • Jan. 20, 2016

James Franco plays Dave Skylark, the dumbo host of a low-class interview show.

From Washington Post • Jan. 7, 2015

Your friends' big dumbo knows he's loved because they are loving to him, even if they blow off steam by making fun of him in a sing-song voice.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2011

I'm not a complete dumbo, but unlike today's generation, I was not raised on these things.

From The Guardian • Apr. 2, 2010

What if he saw the dumbo Pretty Princess game with half its jewels missing in the bargain bin?

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

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