unintelligentadj.
/ˌʌnɪnˈtɛlᵻdʒ(ə)nt/, U.S. /ˌənᵻnˈtɛlədʒənt/ 1. Having no knowledge or understanding of something. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > [adjective] > ignorant of something
unwittingc893
unwarec1374
unknowinga1398
ignorantc1425
unawares1549
unfraught1587
unintelligenta1616
unstudied1642
a stranger to1665
unconscious1678
unconscious1700
unskilled1725
oblivious1854
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) i. i. 14 That your Sences (vn-intelligent of our insufficience) may..as little accuse vs. View more context for this quotation
1616 B. Jonson Epicœne iv. iii, in Wks. I. 572 My mistris is not altogether vn-intelligent of these things. View more context for this quotation
1850 T. Carlyle Latter-day Pamphlets iv. 23 With China, or some distant country, too unintelligent of us and too unintelligible to us.
2. Devoid of intelligence.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intellect > want of intellect > [adjective]
mindlessOE
brute1540
unintelligent1664
unintellectuala1676
numb1854
amental1877
1664 H. More Modest Enq. Myst. Iniquity xiii. 45 The Sun is..an Inanimate and unintelligent masse of flammeous matter.
1701 J. Norris Ess. Ideal World I. vi. 342 So we must suppose God..as an unintelligent being, and also in the production of truth acting as an unintelligent agent.
1788 T. Reid Ess. Active Powers Man iv. ix. 627 If this be so, what is unintelligent may be the cause of what is intelligent.
1802 W. Paley Nat. Theol. ii. 11 By the application of an unintelligent impulse to a mechanism previously arranged..the corn is ground.
1864 E. B. Pusey Daniel viii. 554 Time,..the most spiritual of the unintelligent creatures of God.
3.
a. Deficient in intelligence or intellect; dull, stupid. Also absol.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > lack of understanding > stupidity, dullness of intellect > [adjective]
sloweOE
stuntc960
dullOE
hardOE
stuntlyc1000
sotc1050
dillc1175
dulta1225
simplea1325
heavy1340
astonedc1374
sheepishc1380
dull-witteda1387
lourd1390
steerishc1411
ass-likea1425
brainless?a1439
deafc1440
sluggishc1450
short-witted1477
obtuse1509
peakish1519
wearish1519
deaf, or dumb as a beetle1520
doileda1522
gross1526
headlessa1530
stulty1532
ass-headed1533
pot-headed1533
stupid?1541
sheep's head1542
doltish1543
dumpish1545
assish1548
blockish1548
slow-witted1548
blockheaded1549
surd1551
dull-headed1552
hammer-headed1552
skit-brained?1553
buzzardly1561
witless1562
log-headeda1566
assy1566
sottish1566
dastardly1567
stupidious1567
beetle-headed1570
calvish1570
bluntish1578
cod's-headed1578
grout-headed1578
bedaft1579
dull-pated1580
blate1581
buzzard-like1581
long-eared1582
dullard1583
woodena1586
duncical1588
leaden-headed1589
buzzard1592
dorbellical1592
dunstical1592
heavy-headeda1593
shallow-brained1592
blunt-witted1594
mossy1597
Bœotian1598
clay-brained1598
fat1598
fat-witted1598
knotty-pated1598
stupidous1598
wit-lost1599
barren1600
duncifiedc1600
lourdish1600
stockish1600
thick1600
booby1603
leaden-pated1603
partless1603
thin-headed1603
leaden-skulledc1604
blockhead1606
frost-brained1606
ram-headed1608
beef-witted1609
insulse1609
leaden-spirited1609
asininec1610
clumse1611
blockheadly1612
wattle-headed1613
flata1616
logger-headeda1616
puppy-headeda1616
shallow-patedc1616
thick-brained1619
half-headed1621
buzzard-blinda1625
beef-brained1628
toom-headed1629
thick-witted1634
woollen-witted1635
squirrel-headed1637
clod-pated1639
lean-souled1639
muddy-headed1642
leaden-witteda1645
as sad as any mallet1645
under-headed1646
fat-headed1647
half-witted1647
insipid1651
insulsate1652
soft-headed1653
thick-skulleda1657
muddish1658
non-intelligent1659
whey-brained1660
sap-headed1665
timber-headed1666
leather-headeda1668
out of (one's) tree1669
boobily1673
thoughtless1673
lourdly1674
logger1675
unintelligenta1676
Bœotic1678
chicken-brained1678
under-witted1683
loggerhead1684
dunderheaded1692
unintelligible1694
buffle-headed1697
crassicc1700
numbskulled1707
crassous1708
doddy-polled1708
haggis-headed1715
niddy-noddy1722
muzzy1723
pudding-headed1726
sumphish1728
pitcher-souleda1739
duncey1743
hebete1743
chuckheaded1756
dumb1756
duncely1757
imbecile1766
mutton-headed1768
chuckle-headed1770
jobbernowl1770
dowfarta1774
boobyish1778
wittol1780
staumrel1787
opaquec1789
stoopid1791
mud-headed1793
borné1795
muzzy-headed1798
nog-headed1800
thick-headed1801
gypit1804
duncish1805
lightweight1809
numbskull1814
tup-headed1816
chuckle-pate1820
unintellectuala1821
dense1822
ninnyish1822
dunch1825
fozy1825
potato-headed1826
beef-headed1828
donkeyish1831
blockheadish1833
pinheaded1837
squirrel-minded1837
pumpkin-headed1838
tomfoolish1838
dundering1840
chicken-headed1842
like a bump on a log1842
ninny-minded1849
numbheadeda1852
nincompoopish1852
suet-brained1852
dolly1853
mullet-headed1853
sodden1853
fiddle-headed1854
numb1854
bovine1855
logy1859
crass1861
unsmart1861
off his chump1864
wooden-headed1865
stupe1866
lean-minded1867
duffing1869
cretinous1871
doddering1871
thick-head1873
doddling1874
stupido1879
boneheaded1883
woolly-headed1883
leaden-natured1889
suet-headed1890
sam-sodden1891
dopey1896
turnip-headed1898
bonehead1903
wool-witted1905
peanut-headed1906
peanut-brained1907
dilly1909
torpid-minded1909
retardate1912
nitwitted1917
meat-headed1918
mug1922
cloth-headed1925
loopy1925
nitwit1928
lame-brained1929
dead from the neck up1930
simpy1932
nail-headed1936
square-headed1936
dingbats1937
pinhead1939
dim-witted1940
pea-brained1942
clueless1943
lobotomized1943
retarded1949
pointy-headed1950
clottish1952
like a stunned mullet1953
silly (or crazy) as a two-bob watch1954
out to lunch1955
pin-brained1958
dozy1959
eejity1964
out of one's tiny mind1965
doofus1967
twitty1967
twittish1969
twatty1975
twattish1976
blur1977
dof1979
goofus1981
dickheaded1991
dickish1991
numpty1992
cockish1996
a1676 M. Hale Let. to Son 13 in Several Tracts (1684) A sort of brain-sick, melancholy, unintelligent persons.
1678 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. v. 91 Its use is..well known (even to the most un-intelligent).
1791 W. Cowper tr. Homer Odyssey in Iliad & Odyssey II. vi. 234 Neither base by birth thou seem'st, Nor unintelligent.
1815 J. Cormack Abol. Fem. Infanticide Guzerat i. 5 This is a position, which the uninformed and the un~intelligent alone will dispute.
1861 F. L. Olmsted Journey Cotton Kingdom I. 44 Most of the company were of a very poor appearance, rude and unintelligent.
b. Marked by lack of intelligence.
ΚΠ
1860 W. Collins Woman in White in All Year Round 28 Apr. 52/2 My servant..is really attached to me, in his unintelligent way.
1869 H. F. Tozer Res. Highlands of Turkey I. 302 [A man] with..an unintelligent expression of countenance.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > unintelligibility > [adjective]
uncouthc897
unnimlyc1225
incomprehensiblea1340
unsearchablec1384
unknowable?c1400
investigablea1425
uncomprehensiblea1425
unthinkablec1445
imperscrutablec1450
inscrutablec1450
inopinable?a1475
incomprenable1502
unspectable?1504
incogitablec1522
uncogitable1529
impenetrable1531
inimaginable1534
inexplicable1555
unsensible1555
unscrutable1562
unfashionable1563
unpenetrable1581
unexcogitable1592
ineffable1598
inexcogitable1599
indivinable1603
ininvestigable1604
incapable1605
searchless?1606
uncomprehensive1609
unconceivable1611
undivinable1611
unimaginable1611
unexplicable1615
unintelligible1616
unapprehensible?1617
unfathomable1617
imprehensible1622
ununderstandablea1631
indeprehensible1633
indiscernible1635
inscrute1639
inapprehensiblea1641
indiscoverable1640
unexaminable1641
impervestigable1643
fathomless1645
inconceivable1646
indeterminable1646
inexplorable1646
insearchable1647
incomprehended1652
comprehendlessa1654
incomprehensive1656
untraceable1661
uninvestigablea1677
unintelligent1683
incognoscible1691
thought-transcendinga1711
uncognizable1720
acataleptic1727
undescriptive1744
elusive1751
impalpable1781
inaccessible1796
unconjecturable1806
uncognoscible1821
unascertainable1827
unfixable1831
unguessable1832
unrealizable1832
unsurveyable1833
hard-shelled1835
unintellective1837
undeemed1845
graspless1849
unconjectured1850
incognizable1852
ungraspable1853
unreadable1853
super-cerebral1854
elusory1856
trans-conscious1865
intangible1880
uncatchable1892
unspelt1892
unplumbable1895
unknowledgeable1920
indiscutable1933
1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 227 That I may be the less unintelligent to the Reader.
1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) vi. 176 He was obliged then to have recourse to ‘calling grace’, and severall other unintelligent things.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1924; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.a1616