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gormless
[ gawrm-lis ]
adjective
- lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid, dull, or clumsy.
gormless
/ ˈɡɔːmlɪs /
adjective
- informal.stupid; dull
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of gormless1
Example Sentences
The Telegraph's Robbie Collin awarded it one star, calling it a "fatuously graphic" and "colossally gormless" series, adding that it contained the "worst dialogue" of the year.
The Guardian's Stuart Heritage was less impressed by the performance, declaring it "gormless", "deeply and unsettlingly confusing" and "one of the all-time great berserk musical performances ever seen".
Now, there are enough thoughtful screen examinations of racial politics along with normalized visions of inclusive casting to make "You People" stand out as a gormless throwback.
I come from a town in France where people look you up and down when you enter a shop – even when you are 12 and gormless.
But Mr and Mrs Wormwood were both so gormless and so wrapped up in their own silly little lives that they failed to notice anything unusual about their daughter.
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More About Gormless
What does gormless mean?
Gormless is a slang word meaning stupid, dull, or clumsy.
Gormless is typically applied to people (and sometimes their actions). It is chiefly used in the U.K.
Example: I feel totally gormless whenever I make a silly mistake like that.
Where does gormless come from?
The first records of gormless come from the 1880s. It is a variant of the word gaumless, which has the same meaning and has been in use since at least the 1700s. Gaumless comes from the Scottish and Northern English word gaum, meaning “attention.” That means someone who’s considered gormless is definitely not a person who’s known for paying close attention to things.
Writers in the 1800s and into the 1900s associated the word with the Northern English dialect. Emily Brontë used gaumless in her 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. Poet Edwin Waugh used the word in 1861, spelling it gawmbless. By the 1880s, the spelling gormless began to be used, and the word eventually became slang throughout the U.K. It is typically used to describe someone who has done something hopelessly stupid. It can also be used in a self-deprecating way when the boneheaded person is oneself. (Not you, though. You’ve got gorm to spare.)
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms of gormless?
- gormlessness (noun)
- gormlessly (adverb)
What are some synonyms for gormless?
What are some words that share a root or word element with gormless?
What are some words that often get used in discussing gormless?
How is gormless used in real life?
Gormless is a slang word, so it’s usually used in informal conversation. It’s mainly used in the U.K.
If "gormless" is a dispositive attribute in a person, is "full of gorm" a compliment?
— Hairier 51 (@thirtyt) February 17, 2020
An obvious Brexiter has just said to his friend on the train
"Corona Virus is another reason why leaving the EU is good idea. We can shut our borders and Germany can't force us to open them"
I actually pity him, the gormless sap.
— Richard (@Richardmassey82) February 13, 2020
What do you mean I look gormless? #rude pic.twitter.com/huD7OYvPMs
— Toby 🐾🐾 (@MurphyandToby) February 15, 2020
Try using gormless!
Which of the following sentences uses gormless correctly?
A. Getting a new computer was a really gormless idea: it instantly improved the office’s efficiency.
B. That office chair is really comfortable and gormless.
C. He’s so gormless he can’t even manage to add up the totals properly.
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