Basic Details
Word: Stupid
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Showing a lack of good sense or careful thought. It can be hurtful when said about a person, so it is better kept for actions and mistakes.
Synonyms: foolish, silly, senseless
Antonyms: sensible, clever, wise
How to Spell Stupid
Syllables: stu - pid
Tricky part: The first vowel is u (said like you), not oo, and the second is i, not e. Stoopid and stuped are the usual slips.
Watch out for: stoopid, stuped, stuppid, stupit
Memory tip: Two short pieces: stu + pid. Think of a student (stu) who never makes a stupid choice; both words start s-t-u.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Leaving my phone on the bus seat was a stupid mistake.
Example 2: The film had a stupid ending that nobody in our family liked.
Example 3: Rehan felt stupid for forgetting his own house number.
Fun Fact
Stupid reached English in the 1500s through French stupide, from the Latin stupere, to be stunned or struck senseless.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word 'stupid' as used in the sentence:
It was a stupid idea to leave the new bicycle without a lock outside the vegetable market.
a) careless
b) sensible
c) foolish
d) silly
Show answer
b) sensible. Foolish, silly and careless all fit the sentence the same way; sensible turns it around.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
st_p_d
a) u, e
b) u, i
c) e, i
d) o, i
Show answer
b) u, i. The first sound is the u of student, and the ending is pid with an i.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence and choose the word they make:
Arguing with the referee was a dipust thing to do in the final.
a) tepid
b) sturdy
c) stupor
d) stupid
Show answer
d) stupid. The jumble has an i and a d but no o, e, r or y, so only one choice uses exactly those six letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Stupor, which shares its Latin root with stupid, means ____.
a) a dazed state
b) a loud shout
c) a kind of sweet
d) a clever trick
Show answer
a) a dazed state
2. Which word is a kinder way to describe a careless decision than calling it stupid?
a) brilliant
b) thoughtful
c) perfect
d) unwise
Show answer
d) unwise
