dumb (redirected from dumbs down)

dumb  (dm)

adj. dumb·er, dumb·est

1.

a. Lacking the power of speech. Used of animals and inanimate objects.

b. Often Offensive Incapable of using speech; mute. Used of humans. See Usage Note at mute.

2. Temporarily speechless, as with shock or fear: I was dumb with disbelief.

3. Unwilling to speak; taciturn.

4. Not expressed or articulated in sounds or words: dumb resentment.

5. Nautical Not self-propelling.

6. Conspicuously unintelligent; stupid: dumb officials; a dumb decision.

7. Unintentional; haphazard: dumb luck.

tr.v. dumbed, dumb·ing, dumbs

To make silent or dumb.

Phrasal Verb:

dumb down/up Slang

To rewrite for a less educated or less sophisticated audience.

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[Middle English, from Old English.]

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dumbly adv.

dumbness n.

Our Living Language In ordinary spoken English, a sentence such as He is dumb will be interpreted to mean "He is stupid" rather than "He lacks the power of speech." "Lacking the power of speech" is, however, the original sense of the word, but it has been eclipsed by the meaning "stupid." For this change in meaning, it appears that the Germans are responsible. German has a similar and related word dumm that means "stupid," and over time, as a result of the waves of German immigrants to the United States, it has come to influence the meaning of English dumb. This is one of dozens of marks left by German on American English. Some words, like kindergarten, dachshund, and schnapps still have a German feel or are associated to some extent with Germany, but others, like bum, cookbook, fresh (in the meaning "impertinent"), rifle, and noodle have become so thoroughly Americanized their German origins may surprise some.

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dumb

Adjective

1. lacking the power to speak

2. lacking the power of human speech: the event was denounced as cruelty to dumb animals

3. temporarily unable to speak: I was struck dumb when I heard the news

4. done or performed without speech: I looked at her in dumb puzzlement

5. Informal stupid or slow to understand

See also dumb down [Old English]

dumbly adv

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	dumb - 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" slow, obtuse, dense, dim, dull stupid - lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
	2.	dumb - temporarily incapable of speaking; "struck dumb"; "speechless with shock" speechless inarticulate, unarticulate - without or deprived of the use of speech or words; "inarticulate beasts"; "remained stupidly inarticulate and saying something noncommittal"; "inarticulate with rage"; "an inarticulate cry"
	3.	dumb - lacking the power of human speech; "dumb animals" inarticulate, unarticulate - without or deprived of the use of speech or words; "inarticulate beasts"; "remained stupidly inarticulate and saying something noncommittal"; "inarticulate with rage"; "an inarticulate cry"
	4.	dumb - unable to speak because of hereditary deafness mute, silent inarticulate, unarticulate - without or deprived of the use of speech or words; "inarticulate beasts"; "remained stupidly inarticulate and saying something noncommittal"; "inarticulate with rage"; "an inarticulate cry"

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dumb

adjective 1. unable to speak, mute << OPPOSITE articulate

adjective 2. silent, mute, speechless, inarticulate, tongue-tied, wordless, voiceless, soundless, at a loss for words, mum

adjective 3. (Informal) stupid, thick, dull, foolish, dense, dozy Brit. (informal) dim, obtuse, unintelligent, asinine, braindead (informal) dim-witted (informal) << OPPOSITE clever

Translations

dumb [dʌm] adj → mudo (= stupid); estúpido;

to be struck dumb (fig) → quedar boquiabierto

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dumb [dʌm] adj → muet(te) (= stupid); bête;

to be struck dumb (fig) → rester abasourdi(e) → être sidéré(e)

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dumb [dʌm] adj → stumm;

(pej) (stupid) → dumm, doof (inf);

he was struck dumb → es verschlug ihm die Sprache

dumb down dumb vi → an Niveau or Qualität verlieren, verflachen

vt fus → verdummen, dumm machen

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dumb [dʌm] adj → muto/a (= stupid); stupido/a;

to be struck dumb (fig) → ammutolire, restare senza parole

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dumb

adj dumb [dam]

1 without the power of speech She was born deaf and dumb; We were struck dumb with astonishment. stomgeslaan أبْكَم ням němý stum stumm, sprachlos μουγγός, άλαλος mudo tumm لال mykkä muet אִילֵם गूंगा nijem néma bisu dumbur, mállaus muto 口のきけない 말을 못하는, 벙어리의 nebylys, netekęs žado pārsteigt kādu; padarīt mēmu bisu stom stum, umælende niemy mudo mut немой nemý nem nem stum ใบ้ dilsiz 啞的，不能說話的 німий گونگا câm 哑的，不能说话的

2 silent On this point he was dumb. stom صامِت безмълвен němý, mlčenlivý stille; stum still αμίλητος callado keeletu ساکت puhumaton muet אִילֵם चुप, मौन tih hallgatag membisu þögull muto 黙っている 입을 다문 nekalbus nerunīgs membisu stom taus niemy, oniemiały mudo fără grai безмолвный nemý molčeč nem tyst, mållös ไม่พูด sessiz, susmuş 無聲的 мовчазний, безсловесний خاموش lặng đi 无声的

3 (especially American) very stupid What a dumb thing to do! dom سَخيف глупав pitomý dum; tåbelig; åndssvag blöd χαζός tonto, estúpido tobe احمقانه؛ ابله typerä bête מטומטם बेवकूफ vrlo glup buta tolol heimskulegur, heimskur stupido ばかな 어리석은 kvailas muļķīgs bodoh dom dum, idiotisk, tåpelig głupi estúpido tâm­pit глупый hlúpy bedast glup dum ทึ่ม aptal, budala 愚蠢的 дурний بہت احمق rất ngu đần 愚蠢的

n dumbness

domheid بُكْم، عَدم القُدْرَه على الفَهْم безмълвност němota; hloupost dumhed; tåbelighed; åndssvaghed die Stummheit βουβαμάρα, χαζομάρα mudez, mutismo tummus لال بودن mykkyys mutisme אִילמוּת गूंगापन nijemost némaság kebodohan málleysi mutismo 口のきけないこと 말을 못함, 어리석음 nebylumas mēmums kebisuan stomheid stumhet, taushet; tåpelighet niemota mudez muţenie немота nemota nemost nemost stumhet, dumhet ความบ้าใบ้; ความเงียบ aptallık, budalalık 愚蠢 німота; тиша گونگا پن sự câm 愚蠢

adv dumbly

dommerige بِصَمَم، بِحُمق، بِبَلادَه нямо němě dumt; tåbeligt; åndssvagt stumm χαζά sin decir nada hääletult بطور گنگ؛ احمقانه äänettömänä en silence כְּאִילֵם अस्पष्ट रूप से gluho, nijemo némán membisu í þögn in silenzio 黙って 말을 못하게, 어리석게 nebyliai, nė žodžio netariant, kvailai mēmi; muļķīgi dengan bisu stom umælende, tåpelig głupio mudamente în tăcere безмолвно nemo nemo nemo stumt, dumt อึ้ง aptalca, budalaca 愚蠢地 безсловесно احمقانہ انداز میں thin thít 愚蠢地