1
as in stupid
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a dog so witless that it is barely trainable
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2
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a witless decision to relocate to the other side of the country without even the prospect of a job
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Recent Examples of witless
Ayer does a more-than-decent job directing the action scenes, which is what matters most with such a witless genre entry.
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Jan. 2024
Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a classic send-up of King Arthur and his witless band of knights, this 2005 hit musical, which garnered a pre-Chez Diaz Sara Ramirez a Tony, will land at the St. James Theatre this fall.
—Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2023
Tottenham’s players volunteering to reimburse those fans who had made the long journey to Newcastle — only to see their hapless, witless team fall 5-0 behind after 21 minutes — for the price of their tickets is a gesture rooted in the very finest of intentions.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023
Our intolerable situation forces us to welcome such witless dolts to our side.
—Ana Marie Cox, The New Republic, 3 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for witless 
Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Jan. 2024
Based on the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a classic send-up of King Arthur and his witless band of knights, this 2005 hit musical, which garnered a pre-Chez Diaz Sara Ramirez a Tony, will land at the St. James Theatre this fall.
—Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2023
Tottenham’s players volunteering to reimburse those fans who had made the long journey to Newcastle — only to see their hapless, witless team fall 5-0 behind after 21 minutes — for the price of their tickets is a gesture rooted in the very finest of intentions.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023
Our intolerable situation forces us to welcome such witless dolts to our side.
—Ana Marie Cox, The New Republic, 3 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for witless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for witless
Adjective
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For the people stupid enough to have trusted a midwit career bureaucrat as unscrupulous as President Joe Biden, there’s a sixth stage just before acceptance: delusion.Becket Adams, National Review, 8 Dec. 2024
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Wild Card with Rachel Martin Issa Rae on the belief that gets her through 'stupid mistakes and bad decisions' Lithgow: More.Rachel Martin, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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If he can be had for under $10 million a year, the Yankees would be foolish to not pursue that idea.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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What a degrading finale for Biden’s feeble, forgettable, frequently foolish presidency.Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.Daniel Jackson, Allure, 18 July 2017
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Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.Andy Benoit, The MMQB, 10 July 2017
Adjective
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Packed with silly hijinks, this 2004 comedy also stars Kristin Chenoweth and Kristin Davis.Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024
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Staff take part in silly skits and showcase rare albums that have not been digitized from the station's giant record collection.Meira Gebel, Axios, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The Wi-Fi will always be slow and the gossip will always be fast.Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2024
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Snow has been slow to arrive in Big Bear this year, but the long-term forecast calls for big changes.Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But the series, like the film, shows that vampires are also multidimensional — vulnerable, emotional, funny, absurd — and completely out of place in the modern world.Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
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Photo: Their lives often appear dramatic and borderline absurd.Daisy Jones, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Pay particular attention to Chapters 8 and 20, where Graham discusses the margin of safety concept and the simple but profound concept that buying a share of stock is actually owning part of a whole business.Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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That’s right—a process that can involve doctors’ visits, insurance claims, and out-of-pocket costs was as simple as buying Band-Aids or shampoo or batteries.Jasmine Browley, Allure, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Idiot glee is a kind of sheer joy at the mad fact of the world.Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Dec. 2024
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But neither doctors nor group therapy can see beyond a confused and maybe slightly mad person.Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near witless
Cite this Entry
“Witless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/witless. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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