gormless

adjective

ˈgȯrm-ləs How to pronounce gormless (audio)
Definition of gormlessnext
chiefly British
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 gormless Much like bad prose, his gormless suits draw far too much attention to themselves. — Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024 This is the least intentional of this trio of gormless, spray-and-pray LPs but perhaps the most layered and ambitious. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026 Ustinov hired him, though, as Stamp had unwittingly replicated Billy Budd’s gormless behavior. — Rhett Bartlett, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2025 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gormless
  1. dumb
  2. stupid
  3. slow
  4. simple
  5. thick
  6. dull
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
Definition of dumb
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
Definition of stupid
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
Definition of slow
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
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The combination makes strands thicker, fuller, stronger, frizz-free, and softer—and thus, longer with less shedding and breakage.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 2 July 2026
  • The brown, round cookie has arms and legs, one eyebrow thicker than the other, and one buck tooth.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of thick
Adjective
  • But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026
  • The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
    — Owen Lamont, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of dull

Browse Nearby Words

gormandizing
gormless
gormlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Gormless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gormless. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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