as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
it was asinine to run into the street like that
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of asinine
That these sayings are meant to reflect something both deep and asinine about the film itself is self-evident.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2026
All of that would have seemed asinine mere weeks ago.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Speaking of people getting into hot water for saying asinine things, don’t miss Sabrina Impacciatore’s brilliantly inappropriate portrayal of Esmeralda Grande in The Office spin-off/continuation The Paper, which premieres on Peacock on Thursday, September 4.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2025
What's worse than luring Robert De Niro to Netflix for a boring, soulless and asinine political thriller?
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Alonso may not be the priority at first base for the Bronx Bombers, but to say there is zero interest is asinine.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Altman’s is a plainly asinine claim; a bunch of code running in a data center is not the same as a brain.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
Comedy videos about customer service and asinine Atlanta eatery rules were already popular on TikTok but have seen major pickup since Lee’s viral videos.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Rogozin's claim that the only evidence Roscosmos could offer of the Moon landings was a book by Leonov is asinine.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 8 May 2023
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Feb. 2026
All of that would have seemed asinine mere weeks ago.
—Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Speaking of people getting into hot water for saying asinine things, don’t miss Sabrina Impacciatore’s brilliantly inappropriate portrayal of Esmeralda Grande in The Office spin-off/continuation The Paper, which premieres on Peacock on Thursday, September 4.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2025
What's worse than luring Robert De Niro to Netflix for a boring, soulless and asinine political thriller?
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
Alonso may not be the priority at first base for the Bronx Bombers, but to say there is zero interest is asinine.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Altman’s is a plainly asinine claim; a bunch of code running in a data center is not the same as a brain.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2024
Comedy videos about customer service and asinine Atlanta eatery rules were already popular on TikTok but have seen major pickup since Lee’s viral videos.
—Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2023
Rogozin's claim that the only evidence Roscosmos could offer of the Moon landings was a book by Leonov is asinine.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 8 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asinine
Adjective
-
Nothing gets Trump angrier than when one of his underlings is caught doing something stupid on videotape.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But to those going to an upcoming show, for the love of God please shut up when Raye is sharing this story; a quiet room isn’t a license to yell stupid nonsense.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Still absurd to the average person, but a far cry from what Biles paid.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
As paranoia festers and absurd regulations tighten their grip, suspicion replaces love, and truth itself begins to warp.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Not bad for a silly movie about killer worms from outer space.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
The idea seemed silly at first — who would be interested in a bean box subscription?—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
-
But the Stars should be trying to goad the Wild into foolish penalties.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
What are the Flyers without the crazy-eyed mascot that is always getting up to some shenanigans — like tossing a plush version of his opponents' mascot down the stadium stairs mid-game.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The unhinged left is still in its bubble and as crazy as ever while there are Maher types who now see how this ultimately will turn out at the polls.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a rollicking monologue, Fry described all opera as comedy, tragedy merely being the result of idiotic egos incapable of levity.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Even those on the right who find Groypers idiotic actually echo many of their political positions.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the annals of English football, this shoots close to the top of the list of ridiculous moments, along with Troy Deeney’s mad goal for Watford in the Championship play-offs in 2013 and Sergio Aguero’s Premier League title-winning strike for Manchester City in 2012.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Here's our list of the five best space prison movies (in no particular order, don't get mad at the numbers).—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Asinine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asinine. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
