stupid
stu·pid/ˈstjuːpɪd/adjective, adverb, noun
stupid is spelled S-T-U-P-I-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables (stu·pid). It appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, stupid means “Lacking in intelligence” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in stupid?
| Letters | 6: S-T-U-P-I-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: stu·pid |
| In writing | 87 times per million words; the 1,223rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is stupid?
Stupid appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce stupid?
- UK /ˈstjuːpɪd/
- British /ˈst͡ʃʉwpɪd/
- British /ˈʃtjʉw-/
Stupid has 2 syllables, split stu·pid in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Xavier_hillier-stupid.wav, En-us-stupid.ogg, En-NYC-stupid.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of stupid
- stupider comparative
- more stupid comparative
- stupidest superlative
- most stupid superlative
- stupids plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stupid mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Lacking in intelligence.
It got trapped in the fishing net because it's a big stupid jellyfish!
- 2
Exhibiting the quality of having been done by someone lacking in intelligence.
So I have to pay first, and then wait in line? That's a stupid rule!
- 3
Unpleasant; annoying to the speaker. This sense can be used alongside obscene words.
The stupid rusty wire cut my thumb when I grabbed it.
- 4
Usually replaces an obscene or profane word, and thus is audibly stressed as such.
I fall for every stupid trick every stupid day in this whole stupid world!
- 5
To the point of stupor.
Neurobiology bores me stupid.
- 6
archaicCharacterized by or in a state of stupor; paralysed.
- 7
archaicLacking sensation; inanimate; destitute of consciousness; insensate.
- 8
Dulled in feeling or sensation; torpid.
adverb
- 1
slangExtremely.
My gear is stupid fly.
noun
- 1
A stupid person; a fool.
- 2
colloquialThe condition or state of being stupid; stupidity, stupidness.
His stupid knows no bounds.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stupid in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | stupide, bête |
| German | dumm, doof, blöd , Dummkopf |
| Portuguese | estúpido , estupidificado , estupendo , estupidamente |
| Spanish | estúpido, menso, gilí, pendejo, tonto, pavitonto |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does stupid come from?
From Middle French stupide, from Latin stupidus (“struck senseless, amazed”), from stupeō (“be amazed or confounded, be struck senseless”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tup-, *(s)tewp- (“to push, stick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- (“to push, hit”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).