adj

dumb

duhm

adj

Stupid or unintelligent; showing poor judgment.

"Forgetting my passport was a dumb mistake."

"That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard."

(dated, now considered offensive as applied to people) Unable to speak.

"The character was born dumb and communicated only through gestures."

Not equipped with intelligent or programmable features.

"He switched back to a dumb phone to cut down on screen time."

adv

(informal) Very; extremely.

"That movie was dumb long."

How to Use Dumb

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly used today to mean "stupid" or "unwise"; the older meaning of "mute/unable to speak" is now considered outdated and potentially offensive when applied to people.

Common mistake

Calling a person "dumb" to mean they cannot speak is now considered disrespectful — use "non-verbal" or "mute" instead in that sense.

Common pairings

dumb luck dumb question play dumb dumb phone

Word Forms

dumber comparative, more dumb comparative, dumbed past tense, dumbs singular, dumbest superlative, most dumb superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “dumb” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Forgetting my passport was a _____ mistake.

Etymology

From Old English dumb, "unable to speak." The modern "stupid" sense spread widely in the 19th century, likely influenced by the similar-sounding German dumm and Dutch dom, which already meant "stupid."

Rhymes for dumb

numb thumb crumb plumb succumb

See all rhymes for dumb →