stupid

[ stoo-pid, styoo‑ ]

adjective

, stu·pid·er, stu·pid·est.

1. lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; slow-witted.
2. characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless:

   Sorry for asking a stupid question, but why is the answer four instead of five?

3. tediously boring, especially due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless:

   He wished he'd never come to such a stupid party.

4. annoying or irritating; troublesome:

   Turn off that stupid radio.

5. in a state of stupor; stupefied:

   After a twelve-hour work day, she was stupid from fatigue.

6. Slang. excellent; terrific.

noun

1. Informal. a stupid person.

stupid

/ ˈstjuːpɪd /

adjective

1. lacking in common sense, perception, or normal intelligence
2. usually postpositive stunned, dazed, or stupefied

   stupid from lack of sleep

3. having dull mental responses; slow-witted
4. trivial, silly, or frivolous

noun

1. informal.
   a stupid person

Confusables Note

Stupid, ignorant, and unintelligent are all used to refer to people or things that seem to show a lack of mental resources. Stupid is the most general and most insulting term, and can describe someone lacking in intelligence, wisdom, prudence, or mental quickness. Unintelligent refers to people or things that are lacking in capacity for learning, reasoning, or understanding. Ignorant, by contrast, generally means lacking in knowledge (not necessarily lacking in intelligence).

Derived Forms

• ˈstupidness, noun
• ˈstupidly, adverb

Other Words From

• stu·pid·ly adverb
• stu·pid·ness noun
• un·stu·pid adjective
• un·stu·pid·ly adverb
• un·stu·pid·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupid¹

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin stupidus, equivalent to stup(ēre) “to be numb, to be stunned” + -idus -id ⁴( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupid¹

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

Synonym Study

See dull.

Example Sentences

“Our staff are spending enormous amounts of time just doing stupid stuff,” the superintendent said.

From Los Angeles Times

She adds: “I get it — it’s entertainment. We’re glamorous, and we fight about stupid stuff. I understand that. But I also think that if it’s reality, you have to show what’s really happening.”

From Los Angeles Times

"It's cruel, it's unfair, it's also incredibly stupid".

From BBC

The officer went to the control room of Buckingham Palace, where he admitted that he had dropped the magazine, explaining that he had felt "stupid, ashamed and embarrassed" since the incident.

From BBC

They all made him look stupid and he won't rest until they pay for it.

From Salon

Related Words

• dull
• dumb
• foolish
• futile
• ill-advised
• irrelevant
• laughable
• ludicrous
• naive
• senseless
• shortsighted
• simple
• trivial

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.