Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A stupid person; a dolt.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. [capitalized] A disciple or follower of John Duns Scotus (see etymology); a Dunce-man; a Scotist.
- n. Hence A caviling, sophistical person; a senseless caviler.
- n. A dull-witted, stupid person; a dolt; an ignoramus.
Wiktionary
- n. One backward in book learning; a child or other person dull or weak in intellect; a dullard; a dolt.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. One backward in book learning; a child or other person dull or weak in intellect; a dullard; a dolt.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a stupid person; these words are used to express a low opinion of someone's intelligence
Etymologies
- After John Duns Scotus, whose writings and philosophy were ridiculed in the 16th century.
Examples
“If we're paying for two failed stadiums as the years roll on Randy, Sam and Dan will be in dunce caps in their official portraits.”
Before Henry Merritt and Charles Randy's New York honeymoon (Jack Bog's Blog)
“I watched bush mutilate the english language, lie, make sht up, and just be himself for eight years (freakin dunce).”
“In other words, a dunce is ... a hyper-specialized professor, the very same type of person graduate schools tend to churn out intentionally.”
“If this dunce is the “Ultimate Troll” … does that mean once he’s banned, TP will be troll free?”
“Recall the dunce caps and public confessions of the Cultural Revolution error.”
Female Chinese Land Seizure Protesters Stripped Naked & Jailed
“When it was time to leave primary school to start secondary school, it was a huge relief, when mercifully, Anthony was placed in what was known as the dunce's class and it was only the odd occasion when they bumped into each other.”
“He has also been called a dunce, an ignoramus, a barbarian.”
Luther Examined and Reexamined A Review of Catholic Criticism and a Plea for Revaluation
“Just as the criminal is generally a man of unusual energy and mental power directed into wrong channels, so the dunce is a pupil whose special powers and aptitudes have not revealed themselves in the routine of school life.”
“There is something comical about his objects, and many viewers, at least during my visit, had a hard time stifling their laughter while looking at photographs of a person wearing an oversize padded vest, lying prone on the floor with hands thrust into canvas pockets, or wearing what we in America generally identify as dunce caps.”
“It will before long be found, we prophesy, that, as the corruption of a dunce is the generation of an Utilitarian, so is the corruption of an Utilitarian the generation of a jobber.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘dunce’.
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Unsavory characters
absconder, aretaloger, arriviste, avaunter, bamboozler, bandit, banger, barbarian, barmecide, barrator, beldam, blatherskite and 190 more...
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Change one letter
Change one letter in the title of an existing book, and create an entirely new literary work. Add a one-sentence comment, describing the new work.
all the pretty ho..., the brothels kara..., caesar's garlic wars, the unbearable ti..., a heartbreaking w..., the good marrow, the right stiff, lady windermere's..., infinite pest, the cremains of t..., eyes on the pride, the spoils of boy... and 746 more...
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Hence
Words with definitions that have a "hence" in them.
hanger, Deet, tripe, spindlelegs, fiddle, store, pluck, snap, villain, link, comedy, particular and 376 more...
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unkind words
unkind words or those refering them.
twit, gibe, blockhead, bonehead, cretin, dullard, imbecile, simpleton, clod, dunce, simp, ignoramus and 39 more...
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I am costanza, lord of the "idiots"!
moron, dolt, knucklehead, buffoon, clown, imbecile, asinine, slow, witless, dimwitted, blockhead, clueless and 10 more...
pomegranate That's a sandworm, you idiot! Jan 30, 2008
rolig Originally an epithet for followers of John Duns Scotus, who were ridiculed as enemies of learning by 16th-century humanists. Dec 16, 2007