"dumb" meaning in English

See dumb in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /dʌm/ Audio: en-ca-dumb.oga [Canada] Forms: dumb [positive], dumber [comparative], dumbest [superlative]
Head templates: {{adj|dumb|dumber|dumbest}} [POS TABLE]
  1. Not able to speak. If someone is dumb they can not say anything. Synonyms: mute
    Sense id: simple-dumb-en-adj-kgpCGCWb
  2. Another word for stupid. If you are dumb you are not intelligent. Synonyms: stupid, idiotic
    Sense id: simple-dumb-en-adj--0eL~SfL Categories (other): Colloquial
  3. Temporarily unable or unwilling to speak.
    Sense id: simple-dumb-en-adj-Gb1uMsJs
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dumb",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dumber",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dumbest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "dumb",
        "2": "dumber",
        "3": "dumbest"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They went to a school for the deaf and dumb."
        },
        {
          "text": "Dogs are just dumb animals."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not able to speak. If someone is dumb they can not say anything."
      ],
      "id": "simple-dumb-en-adj-kgpCGCWb",
      "raw_tags": [
        "offensive when describing a person"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "mute"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "intelligent"
        },
        {
          "word": "smart"
        },
        {
          "word": "clever"
        },
        {
          "word": "wise"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Colloquial",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That is a really dumb idea."
        },
        {
          "text": "How could I be so dumb? I know better than that!"
        },
        {
          "text": "I'm not dumb enough to believe that."
        },
        {
          "text": "It is not nice to call someone dumb."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Another word for stupid. If you are dumb you are not intelligent."
      ],
      "id": "simple-dumb-en-adj--0eL~SfL",
      "raw_tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stupid"
        },
        {
          "word": "idiotic"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Temporarily unable or unwilling to speak."
      ],
      "id": "simple-dumb-en-adj-Gb1uMsJs"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dʌm/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ca-dumb.oga",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "dumb"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "dumb",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dumber",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "dumbest",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "dumb",
        "2": "dumber",
        "3": "dumbest"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "They went to a school for the deaf and dumb."
        },
        {
          "text": "Dogs are just dumb animals."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not able to speak. If someone is dumb they can not say anything."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "offensive when describing a person"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "mute"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "intelligent"
        },
        {
          "word": "smart"
        },
        {
          "word": "clever"
        },
        {
          "word": "wise"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "Colloquial"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "That is a really dumb idea."
        },
        {
          "text": "How could I be so dumb? I know better than that!"
        },
        {
          "text": "I'm not dumb enough to believe that."
        },
        {
          "text": "It is not nice to call someone dumb."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Another word for stupid. If you are dumb you are not intelligent."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "stupid"
        },
        {
          "word": "idiotic"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Temporarily unable or unwilling to speak."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/dʌm/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ca-dumb.oga",
      "tags": [
        "Canada"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "dumb"
}

Download raw JSONL data for dumb meaning in English (1.2kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-29 from the simplewiktionary dump dated 2025-03-21 using wiktextract (fef8596 and 633533e). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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