1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
the young genius mastered calculus while his peers, who seemed half-witted in comparison, labored over basic addition and subtraction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
had the half-witted idea to try to swim across the raging river, and would have drowned if someone hadn't rescued him
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-witted
Adjective
-
Part of me wants to blame the NFL for making the players walk four miles down that dumb tunnel after they're picked.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026 -
Asking dumb questions is always my thing.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 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
-
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
-
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
-
Banchero up-and-down The Magic superstar forward got off to a slow start by opening 1-for-6 from the field, including missing his first four 3-pointers.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
-
More Americans are heading into retirement without a pension, and are instead leaning on savings accounts and investment portfolios that have become increasingly subject to market swings and the slow erosion of inflation.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 May 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
-
July 23 – August 22 Clarity today comes from keeping your message simple and grounded.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Brown said Atlanta was taking away the Knicks’ spray game, which made the answer simpler.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
29 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
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.
Cite this Entry
“Half-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-witted. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
