not the brightest bulb in the chandelier
Not very sharp
Not the brightest bulb in the chandelier describes someone who is unintelligent or slow-witted.
The phrase uses the metaphor of a dim or burned-out light bulb among brighter ones to suggest someone who doesn't quite measure up mentally.
It belongs to a family of similar expressions—not the sharpest tool in the shed, not the sharpest knife in the drawer—all conveying the same gentle mockery.
He's sweet, but not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.
- dimwitFoolish, slow person
- scatterbrainAbsentminded, disorganized person
- dim bulbIntellectually sluggish person
- airheadFoolish, flighty person
- dunceSlow-witted person
not the sharpest tool · lights are on but nobody's home · mental acuity · simpleton · sharp as a marble · dumb as a box of rocks · witlessness · bless their heart · half-wit · nincompoop · birdbrain · fool · blockhead · intellectual capacity · reasoning skills · gullibility · dullard · slow
not the brightest bulb in the chandeliergenius
Person of rare brilliance
brilliant · sharp as a tack · whip-smart · bright · Einstein
bright, brightest, brighter, brightly, brightness, chandelier, chandeliers