asinine

adjective

ˈa-sə-ˌnīn How to pronounce asinine (audio)
Definition of asininenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word asinine different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of asinine are fatuous, foolish, silly, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

When could fatuous be used to replace asinine?

While the synonyms fatuous and asinine are close in meaning, fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

When is foolish a more appropriate choice than asinine?

The meanings of foolish and asinine largely overlap; however, foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

When can silly be used instead of asinine?

The synonyms silly and asinine are sometimes interchangeable, but silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

When would simple be a good substitute for asinine?

In some situations, the words simple and asinine are roughly equivalent. However, simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

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 All of that would have seemed asinine mere weeks ago. — Chad Graff, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for asinine
  1. stupid
  2. absurd
  3. silly
  4. foolish
  5. insane
  6. crazy
  7. idiotic
  8. mad
Adjective
  • And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • The 41-year-old is still an elite NBA player, which is still an absurd reality to consider.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 1 July 2026
  • The thesis rests on a claim that would have sounded absurd a year ago.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Every player with a pulse had six suitors throwing silly money around.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Some scenes in the movie are light and silly, including those pairing Maddie with a lesbian friend, played by Kate Berlant, who clearly loves her.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 30 June 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Comparing Young’s new deal to any extension for Davis would be a foolish exercise.
    — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • Further, Plato’s disdain for Gorgias, Antisthenes’ first teacher, and sophistry in general is clear; in the Platonic dialogue Gorgias, the titular character is made out to be rather foolish.
    — Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • For example, Fred Again is absolutely doing insane things with the MPC Lives.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 30 June 2026
  • That dwarfs anything the powerhouse Spain teams did in the early 2010s, when the team was known for stringing together an insane number of passes that led to a goal.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2026
Definition of insane
Adjective
  • That crazy gorgeous Bad Man Blue, and something Harley has called Inferno Gray with Wet Slide Graphics.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 July 2026
  • But in addition to these crazy moments and plots, what the World Cup does every four years is put a bright spotlight on the best soccer players in the world.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2026
Definition of crazy
Adjective
  • That’s been an idiotic trope for too long — that participating in the business side of it taints you.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • Red-Bodied Dog Tick Has your idiotic dog wandered onto a bucolic patch of grass that hasn’t been freshly treated with toxins?
    — Jay Ruttenberg, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Definition of idiotic
Adjective
  • Getting mad about missing out on signing Anfernee Simons won’t change that.
    — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • When World Cup season descends upon soccer-mad Brazil, green and yellow banners decorate restaurants, bars and apartment buildings, streets are painted with flags and soccer balls, and discussions of the beloved national team's games are ubiquitous.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of mad

Browse Nearby Words

as if
asinine
asininities
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Cite this Entry

“Asinine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/asinine. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of asinine for Spanish Speakers

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