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
There are worse things than watching Black, Rudd, and Zahn play three gormless morons on a mid-life misadventure, but almost every scene and setpiece is constructed with a haphazardness that blunders away their charm.
—
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2025
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 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
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2025
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 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
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Rock and pop are often unsophisticated, or downright dumb.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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Urban infrastructure, after all, is still pretty dumb—forcing robotaxis to be designed around transit systems that are decades old.—
Nicholas Gordon,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dramatic footage shows flames and thick black smoke billowing from the area around the airport, while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.—
Moriah Thomas,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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The crowd remains thick, spanning the width of the street.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The employees of Rockin’ Grandma’s roam the grounds of the retreat site, which boasts multiple structures, and are visited by a series of guest speakers whose lectures range from the merely dull to the truly Dada.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Charvet’s ethos is about discretion, but the clothes are not dull.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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