Definition of gormlessnext
chiefly British
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a comedy show that invariably portrays the British aristocracy as a bunch of gormless twits

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 gormless There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2025 Ustinov hired him, though, as Stamp had unwittingly replicated Billy Budd’s gormless behavior. Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2025 There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie. Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025 Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves. Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024 Much of the movie unfolds inside the suburban Connecticut mansion where Lily lives with her gormless mother (Francie Swift) and her loathsome stepdad. Justin Chang, latimes.com, 8 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gormless
Adjective
  • And then quite a bit of dumb bits, like really dumb bits.
    Eric Ducker, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The multi-vehicle pile-up that ensues might go even dumber than a Rusko drop, yet there’s no escaping the anxiety that remains in the static hiss that closes the track.
    James Gui, Pitchfork, 6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But maybe Johnson isn’t stupid.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Such as the one where the candidate remarked that some white rural Americans were stupid and racist.
    Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • That builds on similar trends throughout 2025, when the industry buoyed an otherwise slow labor market, as the nation’s hospitals, clinics and nursing homes kept hiring even as many employers pulled back.
    Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Any type of realism was [limited to] very short clips, everything was very slow, bad textures, no skin textures, lacking detail.
    Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Feltner’s routine was pretty simple.
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Crime 101 takes the same view of quid pro quo as the most basic form of American commerce and makes simple but brutal points about value and self-worth, where your car, its year, make and model, matters more than your resumé.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • These caverns under sidewalks could be used for storage, and circular pieces of thick glass in the sidewalk added natural light to these eerie underground chambers.
    Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The Bucklebury countryside is known for its thick woodlands, which add an extra layer of privacy to the exclusive area, attracting a less-flashy set.
    Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But all work and no play can make for a dull chief medical officer.
    Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 Jan. 2026
  • People living in Bridgeville were excited to see dull pavement.
    Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!