noun
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the quality or state of being stupid
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a stupid act, remark, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of stupidity
1535–45; < Latin stupiditās, equivalent to stupid ( us ) stupid + -itās -ity
Compare meaning
How does stupidity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Stupidity is the quality of being stupid. It’s the opposite of intelligence. Stupidity is responsible for many acts that follow the words, “Hey, watch this!” Being stupid has to do with not understanding things, not learning from past experiences, and generally not using your brain, so stupidity refers to this quality. Saying that someone did something because of stupidity is an insult because it means the person really should’ve known better. Riding in a shopping cart tied to the back of a car and zinging around a parking lot would be the result of some serious stupidity.
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.
See Examples For:
The magistrate called the incident "a single act of stupidity or frustration" when sparing him a criminal record.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Damon’s Odysseus captures all the heroic arrogance, bravery and selfish stupidity of an action-flick brawler who would shoot a giant cyclops in the eye as he’s making his escape, just because.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
Schlossberg characterized himself and his campaign as “women-run and women-owned,” which objectively does not make sense but does inspire a kind of “OK, I guess” resignation toward light stupidity.
From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026
But amid the rampant stupidity of the first “Scary Movie,” released in 2000, original director Keenen Ivory Wayans discovered two major talents: Regina Hall and Anna Faris.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Of course, this was double stupidity on his part.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
The book is a salute to them, not just a remembrance of my own stupidities.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
Amid all the crass stupidities and rank hypocrisy directed at Saule T. Omarova, President Biden’s nominee as comptroller of the currency, one remark stands apart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
All these stupidities can be cured, but only if people with responsibility are given the freedom to use common sense.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2016
“There are lots of disadvantages to social media, lots of stupidities that get passed around and lots of people who criticize us players on social media,” she said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 25, 2016
Because it seemed clear that wars were not made by generations and their special stupidities, but that wars were made instead by something ignorant in the human heart.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
