dumb as a post
3
9.9
- idiom
- Offensive
:
más tonto que una puerta
- I am 100% certain you are dumb as a post alongside the road.
Examples
-
But sometimes when confronted with your ordinary dumb-as-a-post criminal, I felt wistful...
Fiction book (1999) -
Whatever he called himself, he at once appeared dumb as a post and then extremely intelligent, but in a Dr. Evil kind of way.
Blog text (15) -
This thing is dumb as a post.
-
That woman is dumb as a post.
-
Dumb as a post.
Fiction book (1996) -
Rayette (big as a woman, dumb as a post) soon became my personal servant and bodyguard.
Fiction book (1997) -
He always forgets his keys; he's dumb as a post.
-
When it comes to math, John is dumb as a post.
-
She didn't understand the simple instructions; she was dumb as a post.
Synonyms
945
3.2
Not able to understand or learn things quickly
115
4.4
Very silly and showing bad judgment
24
3.5
Very stupid and not using common sense
6
5.6
Not quick to understand or learn
6
5.3
Not very smart and slow to understand things
1
7.3
Very stupid and showing little thought
1
7.9
Being very foolish and showing poor judgment
Very foolish or not showing any reaction
So surprised that you cannot speak or move
Very stupid and not able to think clearly
Very foolish and acting without thinking
Showing little intelligence and only simple ideas
Antonyms
How Foolish
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward simile using the comparative pattern 'as ... as'; a learner who knows 'dumb', 'as', and that a 'post' is an inanimate stake can infer the meaning 'extremely stupid or unresponsive'. This compositional, comparative logic is common across languages and follows standard English patterns, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Dumb as a post may come from the image of a wooden post that stands silent and does not move, and calling someone dumb like that suggests they are 'very stupid' or 'not reacting'.