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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gormless
This is the least intentional of this trio of gormless, spray-and-pray LPs but perhaps the most layered and ambitious.
—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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
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
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
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
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
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Not all blondes are dumb, don’t judge a book by its cover, yada yada yada, lo and behold, Reese Witherspoon is a certified movie star.
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Though Cady has made some gestures toward helping the Bowdens, like his behind-the-scenes effort to get one of Anna’s death-row clients exonerated last week, Tom and Anna should not be so dumb as to ignore his ulterior motives.
Adjective
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And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
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The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
Adjective
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There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
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The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
Adjective
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As for the volunteers, the goal is simple—help someone stay safe before the heat turns into an emergency.
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Evidence for at-home tools is thinner than for professional manual drainage, but the simplest options can offer mild circulation and surface-lymph support at a low price.
Adjective
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The combination makes strands thicker, fuller, stronger, frizz-free, and softer—and thus, longer with less shedding and breakage.
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The brown, round cookie has arms and legs, one eyebrow thicker than the other, and one buck tooth.
Adjective
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But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
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The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
Cite this Entry
“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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