witless
Lacking any sense
Witless means lacking intelligence or good sense.
Someone who is witless has no wit—no mental sharpness or cleverness.
The word often describes people who act foolishly or make obvious mistakes: I stood there witless, unable to remember my own phone number.
It can also characterize actions or statements that show a complete absence of thought: a witless decision that cost us the contract.
To be scared witless is to be so frightened that you cannot think clearly.
Low in light
- dimwittedLacking mental acuity
- dullLacking edge or interest
- thickHaving great depth
- thickheadedStubbornly slow-witted
simpleminded · doltish · dopey · dense · obtuse · brainless · mindless · vacuous
Lacking reason or awareness
- thoughtlessShowing no consideration
- recklessCarelessly ignoring danger
- imprudentLacking careful forethought
- unwiseLacking sound judgment
ill-advised · harebrained · asinine · inane · fatuous · absurd · ridiculous · preposterous
Ludicrous, clumsy fool
- clownComedic performer in makeup
- jesterRoyal household comedian
- foolUnwise, gullible person
- slapstickExaggerated physical humor
farce · zany · droll · antic · caper · tomfoolery · nincompoop · dunce
Free from deceit
- artlessLacking deceit or cunning
- simpleFree of complexity
- ingenuousInnocently frank and trusting
- unsophisticatedLacking refinement or complexity
unworldly · credulous · gullible · trusting · green · callow · impressionable · innocent
Shocked into speechlessness
- stupefiedOverwhelmed into mental blankness
- befuddledMentally confused, disoriented
- bewilderedThoroughly puzzled and confused
- dumbfoundedRendered speechless by surprise
confounded · disoriented · muddled · addled · befogged · spaced-out · dumbstruck · shell-shocked
dim
Low in light
thickheaded · simpleminded · doltish · dopey · dense · obtuse · brainless · mindless · vacuous · empty-headed
senseless
Lacking reason or awareness
- thoughtlessShowing no consideration
- recklessCarelessly ignoring danger
- imprudentLacking careful forethought
unwise · ill-advised · harebrained · asinine · inane · fatuous · absurd · ridiculous · preposterous · nonsensical
buffoon
Ludicrous, clumsy fool
slapstick · farce · zany · droll · antic · caper · tomfoolery · nincompoop · dunce · numskull
guileless
Free from deceit
unsophisticated · unworldly · credulous · gullible · trusting · green · callow · impressionable · innocent · childlike
stunned
Shocked into speechlessness
- stupefiedOverwhelmed into mental blankness
- befuddledMentally confused, disoriented
- bewilderedThoroughly puzzled and confused
dumbfounded · confounded · disoriented · muddled · addled · befogged · spaced-out · dumbstruck · shell-shocked · thunderstruck
- dimwitsidiot, dolt, dunce, moron, blockhead
- foolishfoolish, stupid, dumb, brainless, senseless
- foolishnessfoolishness, silliness, foolish, stupid, folly
- mindlessbrainless, mindless, senseless, unthinking, empty-headed
- Smartsintelligent, genius, smart, gifted, brilliant
- thoughtlessthoughtless, unthinking, mindless, unreflective, unconsidered
witlessquick-witted
Fast at thinking
sharp-witted · clever · intelligent · smart · sharp
- witless wonderIdiot lacking all sense