1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
don't be a nitwit—wear a seat belt!
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
an absolute nitwit as far as geography is concerned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fool
a silly flighty person
a nitwit who never should have been given a position of responsibility in the company
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nitwit
Occasionally, some nitwit will play chicken with the offending lane changer, get in front of him or her, and stop the car in the middle of the road to continue with verbal and nonverbal critique of the offender’s driving skills.
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Oc Register,
18 May 2026
In each show, the two nitwits would set out on some caper, which would inevitably go horribly wrong, leaving them broke, or tied up, or in jail, or hanging over a cliff, or some other situation of great peril.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
The plot involves risqué photos of someone in the royal family being used as collateral, and poor Terry and his nitwit crew were tricked into trying to steal these from the bank instead of money.
—
Mike Ryan,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
The white supremacist rally that interrupted the mayor's lunch in Howell on Saturday wasn't overly impressive, really — just a dozen or so nitwits, and one ghost.
—
Neal Rubin,
Detroit Free Press,
25 July 2024
Oc Register,
18 May 2026
In each show, the two nitwits would set out on some caper, which would inevitably go horribly wrong, leaving them broke, or tied up, or in jail, or hanging over a cliff, or some other situation of great peril.
—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
The plot involves risqué photos of someone in the royal family being used as collateral, and poor Terry and his nitwit crew were tricked into trying to steal these from the bank instead of money.
—
Mike Ryan,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2025
The white supremacist rally that interrupted the mayor's lunch in Howell on Saturday wasn't overly impressive, really — just a dozen or so nitwits, and one ghost.
—
Neal Rubin,
Detroit Free Press,
25 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nitwit
Noun
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As a Spurs fan, I was particularly invested in Campbell in an England shirt and recall charging around the living room like a lunatic before the reality that it had been chalked off hit home.
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The lunatics are running the asylum.
Noun
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Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
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Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.
Noun
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Being a gent or a supplicant wasn’t the same as being a fool, though.
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Don’t let the simple style fool you, though, because the ultra-soft foam insoles provide solid arch support.
Noun
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The list goes on, though; roast goose and crispy fried pigeon star on the menu at The Legacy House, and stylish couples swish into DarkSide for live jazz even on most evenings.
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Organic cotton and goose down in three firm varieties mean there’s a suitable fill for stomach, back, and side sleepers alike.
Noun
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My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
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Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
Noun
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There’s a tramp, a ditz, a bad boss, a hippie, a by-the-book good girl.
Noun
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Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
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The Martin Lawrence vehicle Martin, which ran for five glorious seasons, offered a terrific platform for Lawrence to run around like a maniac as an energetic radio DJ.
Noun
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But no, sillies: Bradley is white, famous and pretty — no jail time for her!
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It was shot in portrait because it was shot in Instagram by and for a woman who was losing her mind in quarantine and had fully let the sillies take the wheel.
Cite this Entry
“Nitwit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nitwit. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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