unintelligent

American  

[uhn-in-tel-i-juhnt] / ˌʌn ɪnˈtɛl ɪ dʒənt /

adjective

1. deficient in intelligence; dull; stupid.

   Even the most unintelligent intern knew how to operate this copy machine.

2. characterized by or proceeding from a lack of intelligence.

   No one will respect you as long as you go around making unintelligent remarks like that.

3. not endowed with the ability to think or reason.

   We should protect unintelligent life like trees and protozoa as well as intelligent life like humans and dolphins.

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unintelligent British  

/ ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlɪdʒənt /

adjective

1. lacking intelligence; stupid; foolish

2. not endowed with a mind or intelligence

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Commonly Confused

See stupid ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• unintelligence noun
• unintelligently adverb

Etymology

Origin of unintelligent

First recorded in 1600–10; un- ¹ + intelligent

Example Sentences

To be clear, this doesn’t mean coming across as unintelligent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Just because entertainment is mindless, or an escape from whatever reality is outside the movie theater, doesn’t mean that it also has to be unintelligent, or treat its audience like they don’t deserve better.

From Salon

Kilmer’s notion that only the unintelligent could perceive him as difficult is striking in that it’s almost remarkably self-aware.

From Salon

Granted, he said his team did some “dumb” stuff and he criticized them for, “egregiously unintelligent fouls,” but his usual anger was mostly muted.

From Los Angeles Times

But sometimes dolphins do some pretty unintelligent stuff, at least from a human perspective.

From Salon