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thickheaded

thickheaded

4 7.9
Slow to understand simple ideas or instructions
  • adjective
  • /ˈθɪkˌhɛdɪd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : tonto
  • Rather disheartening to see how thickheaded, intolerant, and narrow-sighted supposed enlightened individuals can be.
  • so thickheaded

Examples

  • Usually it is the evolutionists who complain that the Creationists are thickheaded, intolerant, and narrow-sighted.

    Blog text (3)
  • He's thickheaded, and insensitive and reactionary, and generally less fun to be around than any person I've ever met.

  • You're too thickheaded to admit it.

  • " Don't be more thickheaded than you have to be, Perrin.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I swear, sometimes I think you're as thickheaded as a mule.

  • Ezra was so impervious—so thickheaded, really; nothing ever touched him.

    Academic text (1997)
  • "He's too thickheaded to notice," Henry chuckled again and pointed to an object parked under the carport-like shelter next to several moon buggies with large tractor-like tires.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • He's being so thickheaded that he won't listen to anyone's advice.

  • Despite her friends' pleas, she was too thickheaded to change her mind.

  • The teacher called him thickheaded for ignoring the obvious solution to the problem.

Synonyms

slow
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
297 4.4

Not quick to learn or understand things

is similar but is more informal and harsher in tone
simple
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
138 8.1

Not smart or quick to understand

is more colloquial and carries greater personal rudeness
thick
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
41 8.2

Not very smart and slow to understand

is the same informal idea but with a stronger insulting tone
dense
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
24 6.8

Slow to understand what others explain

is more informal and commonly used as a direct insult
simple-minded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
16 7.1

Not very intelligent and too naive about complex things

is more insulting and focused on mental slowness not naivety
obtuse
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
14 7.4

Slow to understand what other people mean

is more informal and used as a stronger personal insult
boneheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
8 8.0

Very stupid and not thinking clearly

is comparable but tends to be more colloquial and pointed
dim-witted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
6 5.6

Not quick to understand or learn

is equally blunt but tends to be more colloquial and harsh
dimwitted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
6 5.3

Not very smart and slow to understand things

is more informal and carries a stronger personal criticism
slow on the uptake
vsthickheaded
  • Informal
4 8.5

Not quick to understand new ideas

is more insulting and used informally to attack intelligence
slow-witted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
3 6.7

Not quick to understand or think

is more colloquial and implies a tougher insult rather than a description
doltish
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 9.3

Not very smart and acting in a foolish way

is similar but often used more sharply as a personal insult
thick-skulled
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 8.1

Not quick to understand or learn new things

is similar but feels more insulting and blunt in speech
beef-witted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Slow to understand things and often acting foolishly

is more insulting and used informally to attack intelligence
fatheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 8.8

Not very smart or sensible

is similar but often feels more forceful and mocking
blockheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 8.3

Not able to think clearly or make good decisions

is similar yet is often used more directly as an insult
dunderheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Being very foolish and showing poor judgment

is similar but often used in less extreme, everyday insults
muddleheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
1 9.1

Confused and unable to think clearly

is more directly insulting about slow mental ability
thickish
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
7.9

A little slow to understand things

is harsher and implies clearer lack of intelligence rather than slight slowness
soft-witted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
8.8

A person who is slow to understand and easily fooled

is more direct and commonly used in informal insults
softheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
8.2

Being foolish and not thinking carefully before acting

is more blunt and aimed specifically at slow understanding
lunkheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.8

Being very foolish and clumsy in how someone thinks or acts

is similar but usually more conversational and less exaggerated
beetle-headed
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Not smart and slow to understand

is modern informal slang and stronger in everyday insult use
pinheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
7.1

Very foolish and often making bad choices

is more colloquial and targets mental slowness rather than foolish acts
wooden-headed
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
8.9

Slow to understand or learn things

is more insulting and widely used in everyday speech
duncish
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Slow to understand things and often acting foolishly

is more blunt and commonly used as a personal insult
duncical
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Very foolish and showing little sense

is more conversational and harsher when used about people
puddingheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Silly and confused in the way someone thinks

is more blunt and typically used to mock slowness rather than confusion
loggerheaded
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing very little intelligence or common sense

is closer to everyday insult language and harsher in tone
low-thoughted
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing little intelligence and only simple ideas

is more bluntly insulting about slow understanding rather than shallowness
not the sharpest knife in the drawer
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.1

Not very quick to understand things

is a shorter, harsher insult used casually rather than humorous
bullet-headed
vsthickheaded
  • Offensive
9.7

Being stubborn and not clever

is closer to blunt insults about slow thinking and foolishness

Antonyms

507 3.4

Able to think, understand, and learn new things

4 4.8

Able to think and give smart fast answers

How Smart

brilliant
949 3.7
clever
573 1.7
bright
353 1.2
average
1.0
stupid
  • Offensive
1.0
thickheaded
  • Offensive
4 7.9
slow-witted
  • Offensive
3 6.7

Surface Forms

thickheaded positive

Morphology

thickheaded = thick + head (semi-transparent) = thick + head

Formed from 'thick' + 'head' with a metaphorical extension to 'stupid'—components are obvious but the exact idiomatic meaning is figurative.

Etymology

Thickheaded comes from thick ('not thin') and head ('the thinking part'), giving the image of a person with a 'thick' head who is slow to understand. So thickheaded means stupid or slow to get something.