Synonyms

dullard

American

[duhl-erd] / ˈdʌl ərd /

noun

a stupid, insensitive person.

Synonyms:

dummy, dumbbell, dolt, dunce

dullard British

/ ˈdʌləd /

noun

a dull or stupid person

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dullard

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; dull, -ard

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.

Mortensen, as a bereaved sheriff named Holger Olsen, appears skeptical when a town dullard stands accused of six murders and apparently claimed not to remember any of them.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

It's a world, for the most part, beyond the grasp of dullard officials.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2023

But our mistake in viewing Greg as an adorable dullard eager to play "boar on the floor" is in neglecting to see that he's been grasping for money and power all this time.

From Salon • May 15, 2023

Burwell focused on Farrell’s character, Pádraic, a farmer characterized by his friend as a dullard.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2022

She could chide herself for her silly infatuation with a dullard.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023