Meaning
Not clever and not sensible; in older English it also meant unable to speak.
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Word origin
From Old English dumb, meaning unable to speak; the sense of stupid came later from German dumm.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- dumb
Examples
.
"Dumb" here means stupid. It is informal, so keep it for friends.
.
The word is very common in American English and understood in Britain.
.
This older meaning sounds rude today. Say that someone cannot speak instead.
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English · Free printables
dumb: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the English word "dumb" (Not clever and not sensible; in older English it also meant unable to speak.): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 16, lesson 12: dumb, total, horn and 7 more words.