variants also dopy
Definition of dopeynext
1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a sweet but dopey little dog who never learned any tricks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dopey VanTuyle wound up doing the walrus voice for the final version of the movie, which just might make the tusk, whiskered, somewhat dopey and pleasingly rotund character a star. Julie Hinds, Freep.com, 26 Nov. 2025 Well, this overly gauzy, sentimental, dull period romance hasn’t gotten any less dopey now that Nicolas Cage has been, well, Nicolas Cage for the last 20 years. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026 The concept was already mildly stale in 1983; in 2026, jokes about Nate learning to use a toaster or a GPS come off as well past their expiration date, no matter how earnestly dopey a performance Bargatze gives. David Sims, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 At the same time, she becomes threatened by a minor scandal involving her dopey husband (Jack Lowden), all while dealing with her dysfunctional family, including the serial-cheater father (Woody Harrelson) who reenters her life and a brother (Spike Fearn) who has become something of a hermit. Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dopey
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dopey
Adjective
  • The State’s humor is an interesting mixture of extremely dumb and self-aware.
    Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 July 2026
  • Mayhem comes to a coastal New England town in the form of a killer shark who hunts anybody dumb enough to get in the water.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • Like Mahrez, Austria’s Marcel Sabitzer seemed slightly dazed following the topsy-turvy turn of events.
    Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 28 June 2026
  • Humans of all ages, in fact, stare dazed into glowing screens.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Adjective
  • And no, that was NOT OutKick or FOX who wrote that stupid headline.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The thing about House of the Dragon is that everything really is quite stupid.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Adjective
  • Fido was fine, if a little bewildered, and in February 1973, the board lifted its book bans.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026
  • At the risk of sounding less like a columnist and more like a bewildered bystander … what the heck happened?
    Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • There was no repeat of the slow start that cost him a spot last season.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The house old-fashioned can be made with bourbon or gin and is a much slower sip.
    Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
Adjective
  • In Timon, by contrast, everything is a rush, everything is broke-off and confused, everything is hurtling through suffering towards oblivion.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • But when non-negotiable tasks are framed as questions, children can become confused about whether the task is actually optional.
    Siggie Cohen, CNBC, 4 July 2026
Adjective
  • As for the volunteers, the goal is simple—help someone stay safe before the heat turns into an emergency.
    Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Evidence for at-home tools is thinner than for professional manual drainage, but the simplest options can offer mild circulation and surface-lymph support at a low price.
    Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Adjective
  • Some big rubber balls had been tossed in to keep them distracted.
    Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The problem, Larson said, is that Congress was highly distracted at the time with passing the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
    Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dopey.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dopey. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster