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dunderhead

/ˌdʌndərˈhɛd/
IPA guide

Other forms: dunderheads

A person who's not so smart might be called a dunderhead. If you manage to start a fire while attempting to fry an egg, your mom might call you a dunderhead.

Dunderhead is a more colorful way to say "dummy" or "stupid." It's derogatory, but not the meanest word for someone making a really foolish move: "You dunderhead!" tends to sound a little bit amused. You might call a goofy kid a dunderhead, or call yourself a dunderhead when you make the same silly mistake over and over again. The origin isn't certain, though the dunder part may come from the Middle Dutch word donder, or "thunder."

Definitions of dunderhead
  1. noun
    a stupid person; these words are used to express a low opinion of someone's intelligence
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