plural dummies
1
a
dated, offensive
: a person who is incapable of speaking
b
: a person who is habitually silent
c
: a stupid person
He's no dummy.
She loves you, you dummy.
2
3
: an imitation, copy, or likeness of something used as a substitute: such as
a
: mannequin
a crash test dummy
b
football
: a stuffed figure or cylindrical bag used for tackling (see tackle entry 2 sense 1b) and blocking practice
c
entertainment
: a large puppet usually having movable features (such as mouth and arms) manipulated by a ventriloquist
d
chiefly British
: pacifier sense 2
4
: one seeming to act independently but in reality controlled by another
a dummy for the real store owner
5
printing
a
: a mock-up of a proposed publication (such as a book or magazine)
b
: a set of pages (as for a newspaper or magazine) with the position of text and artwork indicated for the printer (see printer sense a)
1
a
: having the appearance of being real : artificial
dummy foods in the display case
b
: existing in name only : fictitious
dummy corporations
2
: apparently acting for oneself while really acting for or at the direction of another
a dummy director
dummied; dummying
publishing
: to make a dummy (see dummy entry 1 sense 5) of (something, such as a publication)
—often used with up
dummied up the front page
Synonyms
Noun
- airhead
- birdbrain
- blockhead
- bonehead
- bubblehead
- chowderhead
- chucklehead
- clodpoll
- clodpole
- clot [British]
- cluck
- clunk
- cretin
- cuddy [British dialect]
- cuddie
- deadhead
- dim bulb [slang]
- dimwit
- dip
- dodo
- dolt
- donkey
- doofus [slang]
- dope
- dork [slang]
- dullard
- dum-dum
- dumbbell
- dumbhead
- dummkopf
- dunce
- dunderhead
- fathead
- gander
- golem
- goof
- goon
- half-wit
- hammerhead
- hardhead
- idiot
- ignoramus
- imbecile
- jackass
- know-nothing
- knucklehead
- lamebrain
- loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
- loon
- lump
- lunkhead
- meathead
- mome [archaic]
- moron
- mug [chiefly British]
- mutt
- natural
- nimrod [slang]
- nincompoop
- ninny
- ninnyhammer
- nit [chiefly British]
- nitwit
- noddy
- noodle
- numskull
- numbskull
- oaf
- pinhead
- prat [British]
- ratbag [chiefly Australian]
- saphead
- schlub [slang]
- shlub
- schnook [slang]
- simpleton
- stock
- stupe
- stupid
- thickhead
- turkey
- woodenhead
- yahoo
- yo-yo
Adjective
Examples of dummy in a Sentence
Noun
She loves you, you dummy.
They practiced CPR on a dummy.
The bomb was just a dummy.
Adjective
They took apart a dummy bomb.
the dummy shutters on the house are actually made of vinyl and are for decoration only
Recent Examples on the Web
Linda Trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, 10 July 2017
Zuby said the Tesla Model S didn’t have a strong enough safety belt, and a dummy used to simulate a driver in the small overlap test moved too far forward during the crash, striking its head on the steering wheel.
—Diana Kruzman, USA TODAY, 6 July 2017
Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
When East won and led a third trump, South could pitch one heart on dummy’s diamonds but still had a second heart to lose.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
South ruffed, took the ace of clubs, led a trump to dummy and returned the queen of clubs: king, ruff.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dummy 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Noun
Each year, fire safety officials warn of the dangers of fireworks and stage demonstrations of dummies that catch fire and watermelons that explode.
—Linda Trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, 10 July 2017
Zuby said the Tesla Model S didn’t have a strong enough safety belt, and a dummy used to simulate a driver in the small overlap test moved too far forward during the crash, striking its head on the steering wheel.
—Diana Kruzman, USA TODAY, 6 July 2017
Adjective
The prop gun, which Baldwin believed to contain dummy rounds, actually had a live round of ammunition in it.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024
When East won and led a third trump, South could pitch one heart on dummy’s diamonds but still had a second heart to lose.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
At Trick Two South leads a diamond to dummy’s jack.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 5 Oct. 2024
South ruffed, took the ace of clubs, led a trump to dummy and returned the queen of clubs: king, ruff.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dummy
Dictionary Entries Near dummy
Cite this Entry
“Dummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dummy. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dummy
1 of 2 noun
dum·my
ˈdəm-ē 
plural dummies
1
: a person who lacks or seems to lack the power of speech
2
: a stupid person
3
: an imitation used as a substitute for something: as
b
: a large puppet usually having movable features (as mouth and arms) controlled by a ventriloquist
4
a
: the bridge hand of the partner of the player who wins the bid that is placed face up and played by the bid winner
b
: a bridge player whose hand is a dummy
dummy
2 of 2 adjective1
: having the appearance of being real but lacking ability to function
dummy hinges for ornament
2
: existing in name only : fictitious
a dummy corporation
Medical Definition
dummy
2 of 2 adjective
: being a placebo
those who unknowingly receive a dummy pill instead of the real thing—Nicholas Wade
Nicholas WadeLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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