dumb as a bag of hammers
- idiom
- Offensive
:
tonto de remate
- He is as dumb as a bag of hammers when it comes to math.
Examples
-
Don't act dumb as a bag of hammers; ask questions if you're unsure.
-
She proved she was dumb as a bag of hammers by believing every word of that scam.
-
When it comes to math, he can be dumb as a bag of hammers sometimes.
-
Don't be dumb as a bag of hammers!
-
After forgetting my password for the tenth time, I felt as dumb as a bag of hammers.
-
His decision to invest in that failing company made him seem dumb as a bag of hammers.
-
When she thought she could finish the project in one night, she truly was dumb as a bag of hammers.
Synonyms
945
3.2
Not able to understand or learn things quickly
505
1.3
Not showing good sense and making unwise choices
115
4.4
Very silly and showing bad judgment
24
3.5
Very stupid and not using common sense
16
7.1
Not very intelligent and too naive about complex things
8
8.0
Very stupid and not thinking clearly
8
3.3
Not smart or slow to understand
6
5.3
Not very smart and slow to understand things
3
9.9
Very slow to understand or react
1
9.3
Not very smart and acting in a foolish way
1
8.4
Very silly and not showing good sense
1
7.9
Being very foolish and showing poor judgment
1
8.8
Not very smart or sensible
1
8.1
Not quick to understand or learn new things
1
9.9
Very foolish and not sensible or responsible
Very foolish or not showing any reaction
So surprised that you cannot speak or move
Very foolish and acting without thinking
Slow to understand things and often acting foolishly
Antonyms
How Foolish
Surface Forms
Morphology
dumb + as + a + bag + of + hammers
The comparative template 'as ... as' combined with 'dumb' and the image of inanimate tools (hammers) makes the general idea — extremely foolish — inferable because learners can reason that hammers cannot think. However, the specific figurative choice 'bag of hammers' is an arbitrary, culture-specific simile and therefore not fully predictable from the parts without prior exposure.
Etymology
The saying dumb as a bag of hammers may come from the silly image of a bag full of heavy hammers that just rattle and have no brains. So people use it to call someone 'very foolish'.