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
Rising from the coffin of a hilarious but obscure mockumentary feature about four sort-of loser vampire housemates in suburban New Zealand, the FX sitcom shifted the action to Staten Island and cast its undead ensemble as blithely murderous, petty, pansexual and often dim-witted.
—
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
During The Beverly Hillbillies’ nine-season run, Baer Jr. starred as dim-witted Clampett cousin Jethro Bodine as well as making several appearances in drag as his character’s twin sister, Jethrine.
—John Russell, People.com, 11 May 2025
But fans clearly missed seeing the endearing — if dim-witted — Joey alongside his pals Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Ross (David Schwimmer), because viewership steadily declined as the series progressed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
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
This further bolsters the evidence that Neanderthals were not dim-witted as assumed.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2024
Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
During The Beverly Hillbillies’ nine-season run, Baer Jr. starred as dim-witted Clampett cousin Jethro Bodine as well as making several appearances in drag as his character’s twin sister, Jethrine.
—John Russell, People.com, 11 May 2025
But fans clearly missed seeing the endearing — if dim-witted — Joey alongside his pals Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow), and Ross (David Schwimmer), because viewership steadily declined as the series progressed.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
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
This further bolsters the evidence that Neanderthals were not dim-witted as assumed.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dim-witted
Adjective
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Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
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The pair will make stupid decisions, and viewers will likely wonder: would a girl like Paula really do that for a mess like Sloane?—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
13 June 2025
-
This one is one person on the street obviously taking the soul of a protester who was stupid enough to go after some police officers.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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Strain into a highball glass, while simultaneously adding the club soda together in one slow stream to achieve the fluffy, towering fizz.—
Jillian Dara,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
And while the Canadian industry made early gains to close a gender gap in the film and TV industry, making strides in advancing and promoting talent from underrepresented Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities has been slower and more incremental.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to experiencing a surge of sensual energy with greater emphasis on life’s simple pleasures, Venus in Taurus has everything to do with feeling grounded and finding stability in both love and finances.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
5 June 2025
-
Track what brings business Your process on LinkedIn is simple.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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In her papers, there were thick scrapbooks of Christmas cards, many from fellow-celebrities—Berg clearly adored Christmas.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
9 June 2025
-
Jane is heard asking the male escort to wear a condom, but is interrupted by Combs, whose voice appears thick and slurred, as music pulsed in the background.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
Less prescient was her claim—ignorant in exactly the way of so many white feminists throughout history—that racial oppression would be solved once gender was abolished.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 June 2025
-
The provision prohibiting states from regulating AI for the next 10 years is unconscionably ignorant and dangerous.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dim-witted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dim-witted. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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