Top Definitions
Quiz
Related Content
When To Use
Examples
British

stupid

[ stoo-pid, styoo‐ ]

/ ˈstu pɪd, ˈstyu‐ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: stupid / stupids / stupidly / stupidness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est.

lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.

characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.

tediously dull, especially due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.

annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.

in a state of stupor; stupefied: stupid from fatigue.

Slang. excellent; terrific.

noun

Informal. a stupid person.

VIDEO FOR STUPID

What Is The Difference Between "Stupid" And "Ignorant"?

Do you know the difference between the words "stupid" and "ignorant"? This man didn't either until, one day, he realized he should probably look the meanings up. Now, he can explain!

MORE VIDEOS FROM DICTIONARY.COM

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of stupid

1535–45; <Latin stupidus, equivalent to stup(ēre) to be numb or stunned + -idus-id⁴

synonym study for stupid

1. See dull.

OTHER WORDS FROM stupid

stu·pid·ly, adverbstu·pid·ness, nounun·stu·pid, adjectiveun·stu·pid·ly, adverb

un·stu·pid·ness, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH stupid

ignorant, stupid

Words nearby stupid

stupefacient, stupefaction, stupefactive, stupefy, stupendous, stupid, stupidity, stupor, Sturbridge, sturdy, sturgeon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say stupid?

The adjective stupid describes things characterized or proceeding from mental dullness. Do you know when to use stupid, fatuous, silly, inane, foolish, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

How to use stupid in a sentence

If all “stupid grids” were replaced by smart grids, it would allow cities, for example, to manage production, storage, distribution and consumption of energy and to cut peaks in energy demand that would reduce CO2 emissions dramatically.
Use today’s tech solutions to meet the climate crisis and do it profitably|Walter Thompson|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
I’m just going to make this as completely stupid as I want to be.
How Gideon the Ninth author Tamsyn Muir queers the space opera|Constance Grady|February 5, 2021|Vox
Her philosophy, onstage and off, is that not everybody is stupid, not only her views are right, and if we listen to those we disagree with instead of rolling our eyes, we might get somewhere.
Sarah Silverman just wants to make things right|Geoff Edgers|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
What that story missed is that professional investors don’t underperform the market because they’re stupid.
What happens after the GameStop bubble bursts?|Peter Kafka|February 2, 2021|Vox

Like, this thing will get published and then some Wyomingite will ride in on a horse and be all like, “Just kidding, we eat chicken wings at our Super Bowl parties, you stupid East Coast rube.”
The 2021 Super Bowl food map is a deep dive into America’s weird culinary underbelly|Matt Bonesteel|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
Later, his turn as a lothario in the box office hit Crazy Stupid Love made him even more swoon-worthy.
Rob Lowe: Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful|Tricia Romano|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Contrary to What Stupid Republicans Think… A completely different U.S. foreign policy may not be the answer.
P.J. O’Rourke on Foreign Policy and France, Hold the Swiss|P. J. O’Rourke|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As expected, initial reports were met with cries of “Stupid!”
Will Valve’s New Steam Controller Revolutionize Video Game Play?|Alec Kubas-Meyer|September 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who said Republicans are acting like the Stupid Party?
Donald Trump, Still Wacky, Rips Republicans at CPAC|Lauren Ashburn|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They did not pander to social-conservative populists, and no one would accuse them of representing the Party of Stupid.
GOP Needs More Northeast Republicans to Save the Party|John Avlon|January 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Stupid things puns—made one myself then, though—just like me.
Frank Fairlegh|Frank E. Smedley
Stupid you were when you stole things out of my book—could you not guess that I might have read my own books?
Creditors; Pariah|August Strindberg
Stupid you were when you thought yourself cleverer than me, and when you thought that I could be lured into becoming a thief.
Creditors; Pariah|August Strindberg
Stupid you were when you thought balance could be restored by giving the world two thieves instead of one.
Creditors; Pariah|August Strindberg
Stupid Polish Majesty has his natural envies, jealousies, of a Brandenburg waxing over his head at this rate.
History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. XV. (of XXI.)|Thomas Carlyle

British Dictionary definitions for stupid

stupid

/ (ˈstjuːpɪd) /

adjective

lacking in common sense, perception, or normal intelligence

(usually postpositive) stunned, dazed, or stupefiedstupid from lack of sleep

having dull mental responses; slow-witted

trivial, silly, or frivolous

noun

informal a stupid person

Derived forms of stupid

stupidly, adverbstupidness, noun

Word Origin for stupid

C16: from French stupide, from Latin stupidus silly, from stupēre to be amazed

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