dumb

/dʌm/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Unable to speak, typically due to a physical condition: Describes a person or animal that lacks the physical capacity for speech, often from birth.
    • Temporarily speechless: Describes a state where someone is momentarily unable to speak, usually due to a strong emotion like shock, fear, or awe.
    • (Chiefly US, informal) Stupid or unintelligent: Used to describe a person, action, or thing that is foolish, silly, or lacking in good judgment.
Usage and Examples
  • Adjective (Unable to speak):
    • She was born deaf and dumb.
    • The injury left him dumb.
  • Adjective (Temporarily speechless):
    • The shocking news struck her dumb.
    • He was dumb with amazement.
  • Adjective (Informal: Stupid):
    • That was a dumb mistake.
    • I feel dumb for not understanding the instructions.
Advanced Usage
  • "dumb luck": Pure chance or luck, with no skill or intelligence involved.
    • I found my keys by dumb luck.
  • "dumb down" (phrasal verb): To simplify something to the point of being less intelligent or accurate.
    • The article was dumbed down for a younger audience.
  • "play dumb": To pretend to be ignorant or unaware.
    • He knew the answer but decided to play dumb.
Variants and Related Words
  • Dumbly (adverb): In a dumb manner; silently or stupidly.
    • He stared dumbly at the broken machine.
  • Dumbness (noun): The state or quality of being dumb.
    • The dumbness of the plan was obvious to everyone.
  • Dumbfound (verb): To astonish or make speechless with surprise.
    • The magician's trick dumbfounded the audience.
Synonyms
  • Mute: Unable to speak (more formal/clinical than 'dumb').
  • Speechless: Temporarily unable to speak.
  • Stupid, Foolish, Unintelligent: Lacking intelligence or good sense (for the informal meaning).
Phrasal Verbs
  • Dumb down: To simplify or reduce the intellectual content of something.
    • They had to dumb down the textbook for the new course.
  • Dumb something up (rare): The opposite of 'dumb down'; to make something more intellectual or complex.
Idioms
  • Deaf and dumb: An outdated and now often considered offensive term for a person who cannot hear or speak. Modern preferred terms are "deaf and non-speaking" or "deaf and mute."
  • Dumb as a post/oak: Extremely stupid.
    • He's as dumb as a post when it comes to fixing cars.
  • Dumb animal: A term for an animal that cannot speak; sometimes used to imply a lack of intelligence.
    • He treats his workers like dumb animals.
Adjective
  1. unable to speak because of hereditary deafness
  2. lacking the power of human speech
    • dumb animals
  3. temporarily incapable of speaking
    • struck dumb
    • speechless with shock
  4. slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity
    • so dense he never understands anything I say to him
    • never met anyone quite so dim
    • although dull at classical learning, at mathematics he was uncommonly quick- Thackeray
    • dumb officials make some really dumb decisions
    • he was either normally stupid or being deliberately obtuse
    • worked with the slow students

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