as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily
a comedy show that invariably portrays the British aristocracy as a bunch of gormless twits
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Recent Examples of gormless
Ustinov hired him, though, as Stamp had unwittingly replicated Billy Budd’s gormless behavior.
—
Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2025
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves.
—Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024
Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves.
—Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024
Much of the movie unfolds inside the suburban Connecticut mansion where Lily lives with her gormless mother (Francie Swift) and her loathsome stepdad.
—Justin Chang, latimes.com, 8 Mar. 2018
Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2025
There’s some droll humor in this pileup of bad decisions and bad behavior — particularly in one running gag that sees Carey doggedly befriending Ashley’s parade of exes, including one hilariously gormless f-boy played by drawling ensemble standout Charlie Gillespie.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 May 2025
Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves.
—Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024
Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves.
—Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024
Much of the movie unfolds inside the suburban Connecticut mansion where Lily lives with her gormless mother (Francie Swift) and her loathsome stepdad.
—Justin Chang, latimes.com, 8 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gormless
Adjective
-
Ratajkowski has been fighting the stereotype of the dumb model from the beginning of her career.—
Daniel Jackson,
Allure,
18 July 2017
-
Ninety nine percent of all NFL players are explicitly not dumb.—
Andy Benoit,
The MMQB,
10 July 2017
Adjective
-
Jess: The curds themselves are crispy, but the toast is stupid.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
22 Aug. 2025
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The dialogue wasn’t dumbed down and stupid comic book stuff.—
William Earl,
Variety,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Number of new cases slow in the U.S. Nationally, the number of new measles cases has slowed, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
22 Aug. 2025
-
Joseph can also play the right side, and his presence gives the Canucks flexibility to take it slow with the likes of Tom Willander and Victor Mancini at camp.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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For Zander, who has spent three decades championing play as a form of healing, the solution lies in something deceptively simple: rediscovering the human joy of play.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Fun’s model is simple in theory but ambitious in practice: turn crypto trading volume into a permanent funding stream.—
Jemma Green,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The sturdy handle and thicker walls echo the utility these beers were brewed for—robust, satisfying, and meant to be lingered over.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
One is a Dutch oven, a heavy pot with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid, typically cast iron and traditionally used for stews, soups and bread.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
And so to their kits, which more often than not are just not especially interesting: take this away strip, with its mid-2000s retro styling and pleasant off-white piping, but is just…quite dull.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
24 Aug. 2025
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Harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia can strip the finish and dull the surface, leaving the floor prone to scratches and other damage.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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