1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
some half-wit had left the gate open, and all the sheep had gotten loose
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
even a half-wit knows that ice cream melts if it's not in the freezer
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Recent Examples of half-wit
If one president can pardon his half-brother, then another president can pardon his half-wit son.
—
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Beau’s brother, Peanut (Kevin Cahoon), a fraction of a half-wit, fires off bullet lists of random jokes for no apparent reason.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2023
Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 8 June 2024
Aerial mishaps and half-wit actors turn a fantasy classic into a farce.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2023
Beau’s brother, Peanut (Kevin Cahoon), a fraction of a half-wit, fires off bullet lists of random jokes for no apparent reason.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for half-wit
Noun
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Camp offered sanctuary, a mode of performance that didn’t suffer hypocritical fools gladly.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
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Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the city’s essential billionaire investor, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto, is no fool.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Noun
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So, the parallel thing that I’ve been frustrated by recently is not just calling Trump stupid, but calling Trump voters stupid.—
Drew Broussard
May 22,
Literary Hub,
22 May 2025
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Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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But Day is three times smarter than anyone else in the picture, thinking one step ahead of Stewart, who spends too much time on a wild goose chase and trying to figure out how to eat an African dinner with one hand.—
Neal Justin,
Boston Herald,
13 June 2025
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The filler is made of 100% exclusive Hutterite, a high-quality goose down, and the shell is made of 100% sateen cotton.—
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Half-wit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/half-wit. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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