stupid, dull, dense, crass, dumb mean lacking in power to absorb ideas or impressions. stupid implies a slow-witted or dazed state of mind that may be either congenital or temporary. DUMB definition: lacking intelligence or good judgment; stupid; dull-witted.

Understanding the Context

See examples of dumb used in a sentence. Don’t say anything – just act / play dumb (= pretend to be stupid or not to know something). Adjective dumb (comparative dumber, superlative dumbest) (dated) Unable to speak; lacking power of speech. Synonyms: mute, speechless, wordless deaf, dumb, and blind (set phrase) His younger brother was born dumb, and communicated with sign language.

Key Insights

dumb (dʌm) adj. -er, -est, v. usage: dumb in the sense “lacking the power of speech” is offensive when applied to humans (but not animals), probably because the word also means “stupid; dull-witted.” Dumb, mute, speechless, voiceless describe a condition in which speech is absent. Dumb was formerly used to refer to persons unable to speak; it is now used almost entirely of the inability of animals to speak: dumb beasts of the field. Definition of dumb in the Definitions.net dictionary.

Final Thoughts

Meaning of dumb. What does dumb mean? Information and translations of dumb in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Dumb is the Old English word that means "mute, speechless," and itself came from an even older word dheubh meaning "confusion, stupefaction, dizziness." Today, dumb still means "unable to speak," but it doesn't have anything to do with intelligence.