I. stu ‧ pid 1 S1 W3 /ˈstjuːpəd, ˈstjuːpɪd $ ˈstuː-/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ stupidity , ↑ stupid ; adverb : ↑ stupidly ; adjective : ↑ stupid ]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: stupide , from Latin stupidus , from stupere 'to surprise extremely, stun' ]
1 . showing a lack of good sense or good judgment SYN silly :
stupid mistakes
That was a stupid thing to say.
I can’t believe Kate was stupid enough to get involved in this.
stupid idea/question
Whose stupid idea was this?
It was stupid of me to lose my temper.
REGISTER
Stupid is very frequent in spoken English, but in written English people usually prefer to use more a formal alternative, such as foolish or unwise , which sounds more polite.
2 . having a low level of intelligence, so that you have difficulty learning or understanding things:
He understands – he’s not stupid.
I couldn’t do it, and it made me feel stupid.
3 . spoken used when you are talking about something or someone that makes you annoyed or impatient:
I can’t get this stupid radio to work.
What is that stupid idiot doing?
4 . stupid with cold/sleep/shock etc unable to think clearly because you are extremely cold, tired etc
—stupidly adverb :
I stupidly agreed to organize the party.
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THESAURUS
▪ stupid showing a total lack of good sense or good judgment. Stupid sounds very strong and is often used when you are annoyed or strongly criticizing someone’s behaviour:
I wish you’d stop asking stupid questions.
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It was stupid of me to leave the door unlocked.
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Well, if you’re stupid enough to skate on the lake, you deserve to fall in.
▪ silly doing or saying things that are not sensible or serious, and that may make you feel embarrassed later. Silly sounds much gentler than stupid :
a silly mistake
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Don’t be so silly! There’s nothing wrong with you.
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I think you’re silly to worry so much about your hair.
▪ daft informal not sensible, often in a way that is also amusing:
Is this another of your daft ideas?
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Don’t be daft! Of course you’re not too old to go clubbing.
▪ dumb informal especially American English stupid:
a dumb question
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He was dumb enough to believe her.
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Oh, I just did the dumbest thing back there, I forgot my purse.
▪ foolish stupid. Foolish sounds rather formal and is used mainly in written English. The usual words to use in everyday English are silly or stupid :
It was a foolish thing to say.
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They did not want to look foolish.
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It was all a foolish dream.
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I think the board of directors made a foolish choice that it will later regret.
▪ unwise formal done without thinking carefully enough about the possible disadvantages that may result:
She knew the marriage was unwise.
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an unwise choice of words
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It would be very unwise to speculate.
▪ brave British English often humorous used when you think that what someone is planning or suggesting is certain to fail, but you do not want to say directly that they are behaving in a stupid way:
The leader of the opposition described it as ‘a brave decision.’
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I think he’s being very brave.
■ very stupid
▪ crazy not at all sensible or reasonable – used when you are very surprised by someone’s behaviour or what they have said:
Ian’s got some crazy plan to drive across Africa.
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She looked at me as if I was crazy!
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You’re crazy to think of hitch-hiking on your own.
▪ ridiculous extremely stupid:
You look ridiculous in that hat.
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Some people spend a ridiculous amount of money on cars.
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It’s absolutely ridiculous to suggest that he would do something like that.
▪ absurd/ludicrous extremely stupid – used especially when an idea or situation seems strange or illogical:
How can a return ticket cost less than a single? It’s totally absurd!
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It was a ludicrous idea.
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Some of the objections to the theory are simply absurd.
▪ laughable so stupid that you cannot believe someone is telling the truth or being serious:
The accusations were almost laughable.
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a laughable suggestion
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It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
II. stupid 2 BrE AmE noun spoken not polite
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ stupidity , ↑ stupid ; adverb : ↑ stupidly ; adjective : ↑ stupid ]
an insulting way of talking to someone who you think is being stupid:
No, stupid, don’t do it like that!