dumb

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Illness & disability

dumb1 /dʌm/ ●●○ S3 adjective  1  STUPID/NOT INTELLIGENT informal stupid 愚蠢的 What a dumb question. 多么愚蠢的问题。 a bunch of dumb kids 一帮笨孩子 ‘What is it?’ I asked, playing dumb (=pretending to be stupid). “那是什么？” 我装傻问道。 She’s no dumb blonde (=a pretty woman with blonde hair who seems stupid). 她可不是那种没有头脑的金发女郎。► see thesaurus at stupid2  MISHOCKunable to speak, because you are angry, surprised, shocked etc 〔因愤怒、惊讶、震惊等而〕说不出话的 He stared at the burnt-out car in dumb disbelief. 他难以置信地望着烧毁的汽车，话也说不出来了。 She was struck dumb with terror. 她吓得说不出话来。3. MI old-fashioned someone who is dumb is not able to speak at all. Many people think that this use is offensive 〔人〕哑的〔许多人认为此词具有冒犯性〕 → mute → deaf and dumb at deaf(1)4  dumb luck informal something good that happens in an unexpected way, especially when it is not deserved 纯粹是运气〔尤指不配得到〕 It was just dumb luck that we found the place at all. 我们找到那地方纯粹是靠运气。5. dumb animals/creatures HBAused to talk about animals when you want to emphasize that humans often treat them badly and they cannot protect themselves 不会说话的动物/生物〔用于强调人们常虐待动物，而它们却无法保护自己〕 —dumbly adverb For a few seconds she gazed dumbly at him. 有几秒钟她呆呆地凝视着他。 —dumbness noun [uncountable]

Examples from the Corpus

dumb• He knew they were trying to tell him something in the sign language used by the deaf and dumb.• It was definitely an intelligent thing to do, but so dumb.• She was born deaf and dumb.• The athletic guys were seen as 'cute but dumb'.• I can't get my dumb car to start.• You're so dumb, Clarissa!• If we look dumb enough, someone's bound to come and help us out.• She told him Jeff was just a friend, and he was dumb enough to believe her.• That's a dumb idea.• He stared in dumb misery at the wreckage of the car.• The dumb ones are too smart to fight.• The means of grace are therefore for all of us, deaf, dumb, or destitute.• Maginn also took part in the debate concerning the intermarriage of deaf and dumb people.• And um, questions, there are no dumb questions, right?• She's always asking such dumb questions.• Oh, I just did the dumbest thing back there, I forgot my briefcase.• The dumb thing is, this is your cameraman mentality, he goes up with these guys who are ice climbing.• The kitchen is equipped along old-fashioned lines, and meals reach the dining room via a dumb waiter.dumb blonde• But she isn't just a dumb blonde.• No such thing as a dumb blonde?• The big thing about Butch is that she isn't just a dumb blonde, as she herself stressed.• Miss Windsor was always much more intelligent than the all-bust-and-bum dumb blonde image she had created for herself.struck dumb• I stood there, struck dumb.• I was told it was Duart was struck dumb.• One edged remark, and she would be struck dumb.• She could not speak to the woman; she had been struck dumb.• At times 25,000-plus onlookers were struck dumb by tension and anticipation, a hiccup resounding like a roar.• Once again I was struck dumb by the mystery of the world.• No wonder the computer wizards were struck dumb by the place; the narcissistic attraction must have been overwhelming.• The crowd was struck dumb by the sight of the hanging.dumb2 verb  1 dumb something ↔ down to present news or information in a simple and attractive way without many details so that everyone can understand it – used to show disapproval 〔为使大家能够理解而〕降低〔某物〕的标准，使〔某物〕简单化〔含贬义〕 Have history textbooks been dumbed down over the past decade? 历史教科书在过去的十年里是否被简化了？ —dumbing down noun [uncountable]→ See Verb tableOrigin dumb1 Old English

dumb1 adjectivedumb2 verbChinese  

Corpus stupid

dumb

I

dumb¹ S3 /dʌm/ adjective1. informal stupid:
    What a dumb question.
    a bunch of dumb kids
    ‘What is it?’ I asked, playing dumb (=pretending to be stupid).
    She’s no dumb blonde (=a pretty woman with blonde hair who seems stupid).
2. unable to speak, because you are angry, surprised, shocked etc:
    He stared at the burnt-out car in dumb disbelief.
    She was struck dumb with terror.
3. old-fashioned someone who is dumb is not able to speak at all. Many people think that this use is offensive ⇨ mute ⇨ deaf and dumb at deaf(1)
4. dumb luck informal something good that happens in an unexpected way, especially when it is not deserved:
    It was just dumb luck that we found the place at all.
5. dumb animals/creatures used to talk about animals when you want to emphasize that humans often treat them badly and they cannot protect themselves
—dumbly adverb:
    For a few seconds she gazed dumbly at him.
—dumbness noun [uncountable]
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ stupid showing a total lack of good sense or good judgment. Stupid sounds very strong and is often used when you are annoyed or strongly criticizing someone’s behaviour: I wish you’d stop asking stupid questions. | It was stupid of me to leave the door unlocked. | Well, if you’re stupid enough to skate on the lake, you deserve to fall in.
   ▪ silly doing or saying things that are not sensible or serious, and that may make you feel embarrassed later. Silly sounds much gentler than stupid: a silly mistake | Don’t be so silly! There’s nothing wrong with you. | I think you’re silly to worry so much about your hair.
   ▪ daft informal not sensible, often in a way that is also amusing: Is this another of your daft ideas? | Don’t be daft! Of course you’re not too old to go clubbing.
   ▪ dumb informal especially American English stupid: a dumb question | He was dumb enough to believe her. | Oh, I just did the dumbest thing back there, I forgot my purse.
   ▪ foolish stupid. Foolish sounds rather formal and is used mainly in written English. The usual words to use in everyday English are silly or stupid: It was a foolish thing to say. | They did not want to look foolish. | It was all a foolish dream. | I think the board of directors made a foolish choice that it will later regret.
   ▪ unwise formal done without thinking carefully enough about the possible disadvantages that may result: She knew the marriage was unwise. | an unwise choice of words | It would be very unwise to speculate.
   ▪ brave British English often humorous used when you think that what someone is planning or suggesting is certain to fail, but you do not want to say directly that they are behaving in a stupid way: The leader of the opposition described it as ‘a brave decision.’ | I think he’s being very brave.

II

dumb² verb
dumb something ↔ down
  to present news or information in a simple and attractive way without many details so that everyone can understand it – used to show disapproval:
    Have history textbooks been dumbed down over the past decade?
—dumbing down noun [uncountable]