dunce
[ duhns ]
/ dʌns /
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noun
a dull-witted, stupid, or ignorant person; dolt.
SYNONYMS FOR dunce
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of dunce
1520–30; after John Duns Scotus, whose writings were attacked by the humanists as foolish
OTHER WORDS FROM dunce
dun·ci·cal, duncish, adjectivedunc·ish·ly, adverbWords nearby dunce
Duncan I, Duncan, Isadora, Duncan Phyfe, Duncan Smith, Duncanville, dunce, dunce cap, Dundalk, Dundas, Dundee, Dundee cake
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for dunce
British Dictionary definitions for dunce
dunce
/ (dʌns) /
noun
a person who is stupid or slow to learn
Derived forms of dunce
duncelike, adjectiveWord Origin for dunce
C16: from Dunses or Dunsmen, term of ridicule applied to the followers of John Duns Scotus, especially by 16th-century humanists
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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