as in idiot
a stupid person
she's here on scholarship, so she's clearly no dunce
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Recent Examples of dunce
Fred, meanwhile, is a mega-wealthy dunce who comes across as too helpless and hapless to grow into the ghostbusting leading man he’s supposed to become.
—
Joshua Alston, Variety, 11 Jan. 2023
Anyway, bullying is bad, but dunce caps removed from their original context are good.
—Vulture, 29 Apr. 2022
Most adamant in their stances are permabulls and permabears who cherry-pick the latest economic indicators to create the illusion that only a dunce could possibly disagree with them.
—Martin Fridson, Forbes, 16 May 2022
Ermengarde, the school dunce, Lottie, the school crybaby, and Becky, the scullery maid, quickly find a defender, surrogate mother, and friend in Sara.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 13 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for dunce 
Joshua Alston, Variety, 11 Jan. 2023
Anyway, bullying is bad, but dunce caps removed from their original context are good.
—Vulture, 29 Apr. 2022
Most adamant in their stances are permabulls and permabears who cherry-pick the latest economic indicators to create the illusion that only a dunce could possibly disagree with them.
—Martin Fridson, Forbes, 16 May 2022
Ermengarde, the school dunce, Lottie, the school crybaby, and Becky, the scullery maid, quickly find a defender, surrogate mother, and friend in Sara.
—Sarah Schutte, National Review, 13 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for dunce
Thesaurus Entries Near dunce
Cite this Entry
“Dunce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dunce. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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