simpleminded

American  

[sim-puhl-mahyn-did, -mahyn-] / ˈsɪm pəlˈmaɪn dɪd, -ˌmaɪn- /

Or simple-minded

adjective

1. free of deceit or guile; artless or unsophisticated.

2. lacking in mental acuteness or sense.

   Synonyms:

   half-witted, dull-witted, slow, foolish, stupid

3. mentally deficient.

   Synonyms:

   half-witted, dull-witted, slow, foolish, stupid

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Other Word Forms

• simplemindedly adverb
• simplemindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of simpleminded

First recorded in 1735–45; simple + minded

Example Sentences

Above love and affection, above a willingness to find fault, Tate possessed the most crucial trait of all for a cultural critic—he was clear-eyed: The “intermingling of working-class origins and middle-class acculturation are too mixed up in black music’s evolution to allow for simpleminded purist demands for a black music free of European influence, or of the black desire for a higher standard of living and more cultural mobility.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“Most people think chickens are simpleminded, but a bit of patient instruction goes a long way, as you well know. This group can perform three different synchronized dance routines in contrasting rhythmic patterns. Let me show you.”

From Literature

Weizenbaum warned that the “reckless anthropomorphization of the computer” — that is, treating it as some sort of thinking companion — produced a “simpleminded view of intelligence.”

From Los Angeles Times

They use that intelligence — which is part of what corrupted them — to prey on more simpleminded folk who are virtuous.

From Salon

Weizenbaum warned that the “reckless anthropomorphization of the computer” — that is, treating it as some sort of thinking companion — had produced a “simpleminded view ... of intelligence.”

From Los Angeles Times