dunce

[ duhns ]

noun

1. a dull-witted, stupid, or ignorant person; dolt.

   Synonyms: ninny, nincompoop, simpleton, ignoramus, blockhead, numbskull, dullard

dunce

/ dʌns /

noun

1. a person who is stupid or slow to learn

Derived Forms

• ˈdunceˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• dunci·cal duncish adjective
• duncish·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of dunce¹

1520–30; after John Duns Scotus, whose writings were attacked by the humanists as foolish

Word History and Origins

Origin of dunce¹

C16: from Dunses or Dunsmen, term of ridicule applied to the followers of John Duns Scotus , especially by 16th-century humanists

Example Sentences

Cooking rice on the stovetop can make you feel like a dunce in the kitchen.

From Popular-Science

This time, Super Duper Loser Kevin Dopart suggested perhaps a dunce cap, or a jester’s hat, with the title “Clowning Achievement.”

From Washington Post

But such branding ostracizes that behavior, like the film should be forced to wear a dunce cap and publicly shamed in the corner.

From The Daily Beast

The penalty for a miss is the same as in the sprint (Dunce Lap).

From The Daily Beast

Like the pursuit, there are four stops for shooting, but in lieu of a Dunce Lap each miss adds a full minute to your total time.

From The Daily Beast

If you miss you have to hit the 150m penalty loop, or as I like to call it, the Dunce Lap.

From The Daily Beast

There are two shooting stops, one prone, one standing, Dunce Lap penalty for misses.

From The Daily Beast

Pedantic, unimaginative and presumptuous, Theobald was the logical choice for a Dunce King in 1728.

From Project Gutenberg

Tyndale himself, who invented such beautiful words in his translations, was the first to use the word dunce.

From Project Gutenberg

I'm afraid from this you'll guess that I must have been a dunce at school myself.

From Project Gutenberg

Tutors I could get by shoals, but a fellow-dunce is inestimable.'

From Project Gutenberg

He had no mercy on a fool or a dunce, and turned in disgust from those who loved trifles and lies.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• clodpoll