as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
the show's amateur sleuth always has to explain to the dim-witted police chief who really committed the murder
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Recent Examples of dim-witted
His longest-running series role was as Con Stapleton, a dim-witted card dealer who briefly becomes sheriff, in the 2004 HBO Western Deadwood.
—
Gabriela Silva, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
Comedian Al Campbell played a dim-witted commentator with the ludicrous name Barry Shitpeas.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Admittedly, laying off development staff to pay investors that fund publishing is a bit like cutting off your legs while trying to escape from a rampaging lion, but most of the people in publishing management are rather dim-witted.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Written and produced by John Hughes, the irreverent and indelible holiday staple follows an 8-year-old who must defend his family’s sprawling Chicago home from two dim-witted robbers after his family members accidentally abandon him while en route to their Christmas vacation in Paris.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
Hybrids are also, to put it bluntly, a bit dim-witted.
—Rebecca Heisman, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
But what held your interest was the anti-spectacle of a tough little punk band blazing through songs about big-hearted losers and dim-witted politicians.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024
It must be said that wrong CEOs are not dim-witted or evil.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2024
Laszlo, like the rest of the characters, is hilariously dim-witted, which feels like a rarity right now when antiheroes and dark comedy rule television.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Aug. 2024
Gabriela Silva, TVLine, 21 Feb. 2025
Comedian Al Campbell played a dim-witted commentator with the ludicrous name Barry Shitpeas.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Admittedly, laying off development staff to pay investors that fund publishing is a bit like cutting off your legs while trying to escape from a rampaging lion, but most of the people in publishing management are rather dim-witted.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Written and produced by John Hughes, the irreverent and indelible holiday staple follows an 8-year-old who must defend his family’s sprawling Chicago home from two dim-witted robbers after his family members accidentally abandon him while en route to their Christmas vacation in Paris.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
Hybrids are also, to put it bluntly, a bit dim-witted.
—Rebecca Heisman, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
But what held your interest was the anti-spectacle of a tough little punk band blazing through songs about big-hearted losers and dim-witted politicians.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2024
It must be said that wrong CEOs are not dim-witted or evil.
—Geoff Colvin, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2024
Laszlo, like the rest of the characters, is hilariously dim-witted, which feels like a rarity right now when antiheroes and dark comedy rule television.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim-witted
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
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Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
When Luca pulls a gun on him, ordering him to drive, Spencer quickly disarms him and then slaps him for the stupid move.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 Mar. 2025
-
Indexing gives you a better chance to ‘be less stupid.’ — Investment advisor Barry Ritholtz Those dismal statistics come to us via the latest annual SPIVA scorecard (the acronym stands for Standard and Poor’s Index vs. Active).—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2024-25 Bruins are slow, short on skill, inconsistent on defense and diminished in net.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
The Athletic,
8 Mar. 2025
-
It's been a slow ramp up for Alpha, with the rocket having launched just a single time in 2024, in July.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But with a change as simple as adding a bistro table and chairs, these cozy nooks become inviting oases to use regularly.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Mar. 2025
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But there's a simple—and so easy-to-remember—method that will make the packing process easy every time: the 5-4-3-2-1 method.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The final product is smooth but not thin, with a thick and intriguing mouthfeel.—
Erik Ofgang,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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The average iPhone 16 measures 7.9mm (0.31 inches) thick, and the Galaxy S25 measures 7.2mm (0.28 inches) thick.—
Eric Zeman,
PCMAG,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Greed could refer to material attachment, jealousy bleeds into hatred, and delusion encompasses similar attitudes, like living a life ignorant to Buddha’s teachings or being dull and uncaring.—
Alex Abad-Santos,
Vox,
17 Feb. 2025
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Because not only do viewers suffer through the whitest cast ever, but also one of its most politically ignorant.—
Melanie Curry,
refinery29.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dim-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim-witted. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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