English Dictionary
Definition of “dunce”
dunce (dʌns
)
Definitions
noun
- a person who is stupid or slow to learn
Alternative Forms
ˈdunceˌlike adjective Word Origin
C16: from Dunses or Dunsmen, term of ridicule applied to the followers of John Duns Scotus, especially by 16th-century humanists
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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simpleton,
moron,
duffer,
bonehead,
loon,
goose,
ass,
donkey,
oaf,
dullard,
dimwit,
ignoramus,
nitwit,
dolt,
blockhead,
halfwit,
nincompoop,
fathead,
dunderhead,
lamebrain,
thickhead,
numbskull or numskull
Usage examples
Andy had wedged his head into an album sleeve and was wearing it like a dunce 's cap. He said again, `Naked men's buttocks.
David Cavanagh, MUSIC FOR BOYS (2003)A true colour dunce , I started with a whopping 10 colour choices.
Globe and Mail (2003)For someone dismissed as a dunce by the toffee-nosed British press, he's performing well.
Sun, News of the World (2001)They put a paper dunce 's cap on my head, a very long, high one, in three sections.
Craig, Mary, Tears of Blood - A Cry for Tibet (1993)
