plays stupid
Acts deliberately clueless
To play stupid is to feign ignorance or incomprehension, usually to avoid responsibility or deflect awkward questions: Don't play stupid with me—I know you saw the email.
The phrase implies the person knows more than they're letting on.
Playing stupid can be a deliberate strategy or a reflexive dodge.
- feigningPretending to feel something
- cluelessLacking any understanding
- deflectingTurning from original path
- obliviousLacking any awareness
- born yesterdayExtremely naive and credulous
evasive · selective memory · denial · naive · blank stare · deer in headlights
knowledge performance direction
plays stupidbluffs
Misleads about one's position
bullshits · fronts · name-drops · punches above one's weight
knowledge display strategy
plays stupidshows off
Flaunts for attention
name-drops · brags · grandstands · pontificates · mansplains
play, plays, played, playing, player, players, playful, playfully, playfulness