Stupid

How to spell stupid

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce stupid

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does stupid mean?

1. adjectiveLacking intelligence, good sense, or sound judgement.

Stupid in a sentence

• Leaving the keys in the car was a stupid mistake.

• He felt stupid for forgetting the meeting again.

Where does stupid come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin stupidus, meaning 'struck senseless' or 'dazed', which was built on the verb stupere, literally 'to be stunned, numbed, or astonished'. The original sense carried the idea of someone left stupefied, as if hit by a sudden shock, rather than simply lacking intelligence. English adopted it in the 1500s, at first describing a state of mental numbness or dullness before settling into the modern meaning of foolish or slow-witted. The same Latin root survives in the closely related words 'stupor' and 'stupefy', both of which still keep the original sense of being dazed or overwhelmed. The spelling is fairly phonetic, though the unstressed second syllable can tempt writers toward an unexpected vowel.

How the word is built

• stup- (from stupere: to be stunned, dazed)
• -id (adjective suffix)