dumb mistake
4
2.8
- noun
- Informal
:
error tonto
- So stupid, a cop thing, a crazy kid, and a bunch of dumb mistakes.
- make dumb mistake
- really dumb mistake
And yet we see people making not just dumb mistakes through carelessness, but we see people who genuinely don't get it sometimes.
- And yet we see people making not just dumb mistakes through carelessness, but we see people who genuinely don't get it sometimes.
- And so I share this with you because it's such a dumb mistake to make by kicking the can of fitness down the road when you know that you, you can make time for it.
Examples
-
GM execs then made their usual series of dumb mistakes and killed the car.
Blog text (8) -
You know how sometimes you have those dumb mistakes that you just keep making over and over again?
-
But it takes more than a dumb mistake to turn someone into a victim.
Blog text (33) -
A question of holding his own then, not being a liability, not making dumb mistakes, playing tough D.
Fiction book (2002) -
It was just a dumb mistake.
-
Maybe my kids won't make all of the dumb mistakes I made.
Blog text (20) -
Having maturity on your side is a great thing because you'll spare yourself the dumb mistakes that only a novice is likely to commit.
Blog text (13) -
What's more important is that when Romney was criticized about it by Wallace, Romney should have just said that it was a dumb mistake or something to that effect.
Blog text (22) -
Everyone makes a dumb mistake sometimes, like forgetting an important date.
-
He called his error a dumb mistake that he should have easily avoided.
Synonyms
306
1.0
A wrong belief, calculation, or action
59
7.3
A foolish action or a lack of good sense that causes trouble
54
2.4
A choice that is not good and causes problems later
53
3.3
A mistake that happens when someone confuses one thing with another
51
3.4
A foolish action that shows poor judgment
50
3.5
A small mistake that causes embarrassment
44
5.3
A small wrong action that causes embarrassment or harm to people's trust
38
7.3
A small mistake that shows bad judgment but is not serious
33
6.1
A careless mistake that causes problems or embarrassment
30
4.2
A wrong estimate of numbers or plans that causes problems
11
3.5
A choice that is not wise and causes problems
9
3.6
A wrong decision about a person or situation
6
7.7
An embarrassing mistake made when someone is careless or nervous
5
9.9
A serious or embarrassing mistake that causes problems
5
7.7
A serious, embarrassing mistake often caused by confusion or poor planning
3
7.6
An embarrassing mistake that happens because of bad or careless work
1
8.4
A stupid action or remark
A foolish mistake made without thinking that causes trouble
A very foolish decision that shows little thought
A choice that is foolish and not well thought out
A small mistake that causes embarrassment or trouble
How Foolish
49
3.0
- Informal
4
2.8
1
9.3
30
4.7
- Informal
1
7.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a foolish or unwise error' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'dumb' (foolish/lacking judgment) with 'mistake' (an error). This adjective+noun composition is a common, predictable pattern (and mirrored in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Dumb mistake joins dumb, meaning 'stupid' or 'not thinking', and mistake to create a clear image: a choice so careless it looks like the person did not think at all. That's why it means 'a foolish or careless error'.