stupid

/ˈstjuː.pɪd/

//ˈstjuː.pɪd// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"stupid" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stupid” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,237 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,237
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Without intelligence.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

stupid vs stupor
67% similar
stupid vs stupidly
75% similar
stupid vs stud
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for stupid
PropertyValue
Headwordstupid
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstjuː.pɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,237
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stupid” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). stupid lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for stupid is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstjuː.pɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,237 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for stupid, with forms such as "sstupid", "stpuid", and "sttupid". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "stupor", "stupidly", "stud", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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”). … The correct English form is stupid, spelled S-T-U-P-I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Without intelligence.
  2. 2
    Without intelligence.
  3. 3
    Without intelligence.
  4. 4
    Without intelligence.
  5. 5
    To the point of stupor.
  6. 6
    To the point of stupor.
  7. 7
    To the point of stupor.
  8. 8
    To the point of stupor.
  9. 9
    Amazing.

Etymology

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”). Cognate with Old High German stubarōn (“to be astonished, be stunned, be blocked”). Related also to Old English stoppian (“to block, stop”). More at stop.

Synonyms

daftineptaddlebrainedaddlepatedairheadedbee-brainedbeef-wittedbeefheadedbeetle-headedbirdbrainedblockheadedBoeotianboneheadedboofheadedbraindeadbrainlessbubbleheadedbuffle-headedbullet-headedcerebrally challengedchildishchowderheadedchuckleheadedcrackbrainedcretinousdensedenteddim-bulbdim-headeddim-witteddimdoltishdopeydozydrowsydull-headeddull-mindeddull-witteddulldumber than a box of rocksdumbdunderheadedempty-headedfatheadedfeeble-mindedflea-brainedfoolishfuzzy-headedfuzzy-mindedgoofyhalf-brainedhalf-wittedhammer-headedidioticignorantimbecilicinaneinsipidintellectually challengedknuckleheadedlamebrainedlowbrowlumpishlunkheadedmentally challengedmentally retardedmindlessmonosynapticmoronicmuttonheadednitwittednumbskulledoafishobtusepeabrainedprattypudding-headedpuerilepurblindquarter-wittedretardedridiculousrockheadedsharp as a bowling ballsheep-headedsillysimpleslowslow on the uptakeslow-wittedsmooth-brainedstolidstupidthick-skulledthickheadedthickwittedthickunapprehensiveuncleveruninformedunintelligentunsmartvacantvacuouswitlesswooden-headedwool-headedwoolly-headedwoolly-mindeddumb as a bag of hammersdumb as a box of rocksdumb as a doorknobdumb as an oxdumb as a postdumb as a sack of hammersdumb as dirtdumber than a rocknot the sharpest crayon in the boxnot the sharpest knife in the drawernot the sharpest tool in the shedthick as a brickthick as a plankthick as champthick as mincethick as two short planksthick as a whale omeletteass-brainedfuckwittedshit-for-brainsthick as pig shit

Antonyms

intelligent

This word in other languages

estúpido(Español)stupide(Français)dumm(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sstupid,stpuid,sttupid,stuipd,stupdi,stupidd,stuppid,sutpid,tsupid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stupid - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

sstupid1stpuid2sttupid1stuipd2stupdi2stupidd1stuppid1sutpid2
Edit distance from "stupid"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stupid"?
"stupid" is spelled S-T-U-P-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstjuː.pɪd/.
What does "stupid" mean?
As an adjective, "stupid" means: Without intelligence.
What words are commonly confused with "stupid"?
"stupid" is commonly confused with "stupor", "stupidly", "stud". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stupid"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stupid" is /ˈstjuː.pɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "stupid"?
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 pus... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “stupid”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-U-P-I-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstjuː.pɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “stupor” - see the side-by-side comparison. stupid vs stupor
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list