dunce

[ duhns ]

/ dʌns /

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See synonyms for dunce on Thesaurus.com

noun

a dull-witted, stupid, or ignorant person; dolt.

OTHER WORDS FOR dunce

dullard, numskull, blockhead, ignoramus, simpleton, nincompoop, ninny.

See synonyms for dunce on Thesaurus.com

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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, adverb

Words nearby dunce

Duncan I, Duncan, Isadora, Duncan Phyfe, Duncan Smith, Duncanville, dunce, dunce cap, Dundalk, Dundas, Dundee, Dundee cake

How to use dunce in a sentence

This time, Super Duper Loser Kevin Dopart suggested perhaps a dunce cap, or a jester’s hat, with the title “Clowning Achievement.”
Style Conversational Week 1413: Our new not-so-big top -- the Clowning Achievement trophy|Pat Myers|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
But such branding ostracizes that behavior, like the film should be forced to wear a dunce cap and publicly shamed in the corner.
Guardians of the Galaxy’s Chris Pratt Is the Everydude Superhero|Kevin Fallon|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The penalty for a miss is the same as in the sprint (Dunce Lap).
Why the Biathlon Makes Bonds of Us All|Brett Singer|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like the pursuit, there are four stops for shooting, but in lieu of a Dunce Lap each miss adds a full minute to your total time.
Why the Biathlon Makes Bonds of Us All|Brett Singer|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If you miss you have to hit the 150m penalty loop, or as I like to call it, the Dunce Lap.
Why the Biathlon Makes Bonds of Us All|Brett Singer|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are two shooting stops, one prone, one standing, Dunce Lap penalty for misses.
Why the Biathlon Makes Bonds of Us All|Brett Singer|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pedantic, unimaginative and presumptuous, Theobald was the logical choice for a Dunce King in 1728.
A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope|Colley Cibber
Tyndale himself, who invented such beautiful words in his translations, was the first to use the word dunce.
Stories That Words Tell Us|Elizabeth O'Neill
I'm afraid from this you'll guess that I must have been a dunce at school myself.
The Nicest Girl in the School|Angela Brazil
Tutors I could get by shoals, but a fellow-dunce is inestimable.'
The Heir of Redclyffe|Charlotte M. Yonge
He had no mercy on a fool or a dunce, and turned in disgust from those who loved trifles and lies.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume VI|John Lord

British Dictionary definitions for dunce

dunce

/ (dʌns) /

noun

a person who is stupid or slow to learn

Derived forms of dunce

duncelike, adjective

Word 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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dunce

OTHER WORDS FOR dunce

Origin of dunce

OTHER WORDS FROM dunce

Words nearby dunce

Words related to dunce

How to use dunce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dunce

Derived forms of dunce

Word Origin for dunce