stupidly

stupidly — adverb

1. with so little good sense or careful thought that an action or decision seems un

1.adverbB1
Definition

with so little good sense or careful thought that an action or decision seems unreasonable or likely to cause problems

Example

Stupidly, Christopher left his phone in the taxi after the party.

sentence adverb at start of clause

Yumi stupidly agreed to work double shifts without asking for extra pay.

stupidly before main verb in mid position

Common collocations
  • act stupidly
  • behave stupidly
  • react stupidly
  • stupidly expensive
  • stupidly easy
Synonyms
  • foolishly

    slightly more formal; interchangeable in most contexts

  • unwisely

    focuses on poor judgment rather than lack of intelligence

  • thoughtlessly

    emphasises not considering the consequences

  • recklessly

    stronger; suggests ignoring obvious danger or risk

Antonyms
  • wisely

    showing good judgment and careful thought

  • sensibly

    acting with practical intelligence

  • prudently

    carefully avoiding unnecessary risk

Grammar Patterns

Stupidly + [clause] — sentence adverb at front

[subject] + stupidly + [verb] — manner adverb before verb

[verb] + stupidly — manner adverb after verb

stupidly + [adjective] — intensifier before adjective (informal)

Usage Note

Can be placed before a verb ('He stupidly forgot'), before an adjective to intensify it ('a stupidly expensive watch'), or at the start of a sentence to comment on the whole action ('Stupidly, they left the window open'). The sentence-adverb position is more common in formal or written English.

Common Mistakes

He drove stupid.
He drove stupidly.
After action verbs, use the adverb 'stupidly', not the adjective 'stupid'.
It was stupidly of me to forget.
It was stupid of me to forget.
After 'it was', use the adjective 'stupid', not 'stupidly'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four describe actions lacking good judgment, but they differ in tone and scope. 'Foolishly' is the closest synonym and can almost always replace 'stupidly' in formal writing — it focuses on an action being unwise rather than the person being unintelligent. 'Unwisely' is milder and more deliberate, suggesting a choice that was not smart given the circumstances. 'Thoughtlessly' shifts the emphasis to carelessness or lack of consideration rather than poor reasoning. 'Recklessly' is the strongest: it implies the person knew there was danger but ignored it. Compare: 'She stupidly spent her rent money on concert tickets' (emphasises the silliness of the choice) vs. 'She recklessly spent her rent money on concert tickets' (implies she knew she would face trouble but did it anyway).

foolishlyunwiselythoughtlesslyrecklessly ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • act stupidly
  • behave stupidly
  • react stupidly
  • spend money stupidly
  • stupidly dangerous
  • stupidly easy

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Formed by adding the adverb-forming suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'stupid'. The adjective 'stupid' comes from Latin 'stupidus' (amazed, stunned), from 'stupere' (to be stunned or confounded). The meaning shifted over centuries from 'mentally dazed' to 'lacking intelligence or good judgment'.