sharp as a bowling ball

Examples

• All

• You don't have to be sharp as a bowling ball to see why that plan failed.

• Everyone else quickly understood the instructions, but Tom was sharp as a bowling ball.

• Linda joked that her brother is sharp as a bowling ball when it comes to remembering birthdays.

• I can't believe she thought that; she's sharp as a bowling ball.

• Everyone else quickly understood the instructions, but Tom was sharp as a bowling ball.

• Linda joked that her brother is sharp as a bowling ball when it comes to remembering birthdays.

• You don't have to be sharp as a bowling ball to see why that plan failed.

Synonyms

S

simple

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

138 8.1

Not smart or quick to understand

is more humorous and emphasizes severe lack of perception

O

obtuse

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

14 7.4

Slow to understand what other people mean

is more playful insult highlighting very low perception

W

witless

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

9 6.8

Not showing good sense or judgment

is more sarcastic and uses humor to show poor perception

D

dim-witted

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

6 5.6

Not quick to understand or learn

is more sarcastic and focuses on lack of perceptive ability

S

slow-witted

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

3 6.7

Not quick to understand or think

is more mocking and targets lack of alertness rather than slowness

H

half-witted

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

2 7.5

Showing very little sense or intelligence

is more playful sarcasm rather than blunt insult focusing on perception

N

not the sharpest crayon in the box

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

1 9.9

A person who is not very quick to understand things

is more sarcastic and emphasizes deep lack of perception

B

beef-witted

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

1 9.9

Slow to understand things and often acting foolishly

is more sarcastic and ridicules general lack of perception

S

sharpest tool in the box

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

8.8

A person who is not very quick to understand

is more sarcastic and stresses very low intelligence and lack of perception

N

not the sharpest knife in the drawer

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

9.1

Not very quick to understand things

is harsher sarcasm stressing seriously poor perception

A

as sharp as a butter knife

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

7.5

Fails to make a strong point because it is dull and weak

is more about lacking mental alertness rather than mere ineffectiveness

S

soft-witted

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

8.8

A person who is slow to understand and easily fooled

is more joking and stresses simple lack of perception

N

nice-but-dim

vssharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

9.2

Pleasant and friendly but not very smart

is more sarcastic and stresses bluntly poor perceptive ability

How Smart

smart

∞ 1.9

average

∞ 1.0

dimwitted

• Offensive

6 5.3

sharp as a bowling ball

• Offensive

9.3

brainless

• Offensive

24 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology