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dumb

[ duhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

dumber, dumbest.

lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted.
lacking the power of speech (offensive when applied to humans):
a dumb animal.
temporarily unable to speak:
dumb with astonishment.
refraining from any or much speech; silent.
made, done, etc., without speech.
lacking some usual property, characteristic, etc.
performed in pantomime; mimed.
Computers. pertaining to the inability to do processing locally: Compare intelligent ( def 4 ).
A dumb terminal can input, output, and display data, but cannot process it.
Nautical.
1. (of a barge) without means of propulsion.
2. (of any craft) without means of propulsion, steering, or signaling.

verb phrase

Informal. to make or become less intellectual, simpler, or less sophisticated:
to dumb down a textbook; American movies have dumbed down.

dumb

/ ��ʌ�� /

adjective

lacking the power to speak, either because of defects in the vocal organs or because of hereditary deafness
lacking the power of human speech
dumb animals
temporarily lacking or bereft of the power to speak
struck dumb
refraining from speech; uncommunicative
producing no sound; silent
a dumb piano
made, done, or performed without speech
informal.
1. slow to understand; dim-witted
2. foolish; stupid See also dumb down
(of a projectile or bomb) not guided to its target

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Sensitive Note

Dumb in the sense “lacking the power of speech” is perceived as insulting when describing humans (but not animals), probably because dumb also means “stupid; dull-witted.” The noun dummy in the sense “person who lacks the power of speech” is also perceived as insulting, as are the terms deaf-and-dumb, deaf-mute, and mute. The adjective hard of hearing is acceptable though not the term of choice, partly because it lacks directness. The preferred term is deaf, which makes no reference to an inability to speak or communicate; the capitalized word Deaf signals membership in this community.

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Derived Forms

ˈ��ܳ��Ա��, noun
ˈ��ܳ��, adverb

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Other Word Forms

��ܳ��·�� adverb
��ܳ��·�Ա�� noun
��ܲ�·��-��ܳ�� adjective
qua·si-��ܳ��·�� adverb

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Word History and Origins

Origin of dumb¹

First recorded before 1000; Old English; cognate with Old Norse dumbr, Gothic dumbs, Old Saxon dumb, Old High German tump, German dumm

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Word History and Origins

Origin of dumb¹

Old English; related to Old Norse dumbr, Gothic dumbs, Old High German tump

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“They needed one boy next door, one fat dumb man, one fat dumb woman,” Roman said in her 2024 chat with Nashville station WTVF.

From

Such voices tend to believe that anyone who would trust Trump’s promises of free money are dumb, dupes, rubes and/or easy marks.

From

Musk called the Trump booster a "moron" and "dumber than a sack of bricks" in a series of posts to social media, drawing little more than a sigh from the White House.

From

“It’s just such a dumb, self-inflicted injury,” he said, noting the response in Canada has been one of anger and incredulity.

From

But as dumb as it all was, I find myself unsettled.

From

Related Words

Du Maurier dumb ague

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