unintelligent

unintelligent — adjective

1. slow to learn or understand things, or not able to think in a clear and logical

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

slow to learn or understand things, or not able to think in a clear and logical way

Example

Imran's question was not unintelligent, but he had not read the instructions carefully.

not unintelligent — litotes (double negative) for a softer judgement

The film critic described the movie as unintelligent and full of boring action scenes.

collocation: describe + something + as + unintelligent

Common collocations
  • unintelligent question
  • unintelligent comment
  • unintelligent remark
  • unintelligent decision
  • unintelligent idea
  • unintelligent plot
  • find something unintelligent
  • describe something as unintelligent
  • rather unintelligent
  • completely unintelligent
  • somewhat unintelligent
Synonyms
  • stupid

    more common and informal; can be more offensive than unintelligent

  • dumb

    informal, especially in American English; often describes a specific action rather than a person’s general ability

  • slow

    less harsh and often used as a gentler alternative; focuses on speed of learning

  • foolish

    emphasises poor judgement or lack of wisdom rather than general mental ability

Antonyms
  • intelligent

    the direct opposite; describes someone with good mental ability

  • smart

    informal synonym of intelligent; very common in everyday speech

  • clever

    emphasises quickness and inventiveness in thinking

  • bright

    often used of young people; suggests natural quickness in learning

Usage Note

This word can sound harsh when used directly to describe a person. It is more commonly used to criticise ideas, decisions, questions, or creative works. The double-negative form 'not unintelligent' is a common and softer alternative that suggests something has some merit despite its flaws.

Common Mistakes

❗ 'He is an unintelligent person.' (direct judgement of a person) ✅ 'He made an unintelligent remark.' — Describing a specific action or statement is less offensive than labelling someone’s overall intelligence.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All five words describe a lack of mental sharpness, but they differ in tone and focus. 'Unintelligent' is the most neutral and formal of the group; it states a lack of intelligence without the emotional charge of other options. 'Stupid' is far more common in everyday speech and can carry strong disapproval or frustration. 'Dumb' is informal and very frequent in American English; it can describe a person or a single action without necessarily judging the person's overall ability. 'Slow' is the gentlest choice, often used as a euphemism or to describe someone who takes longer to grasp things ('a slow learner'). 'Foolish' shifts the focus from general mental ability to poor judgement in a specific situation. For example: the film's plot was 'unintelligent' (lacked logic), but calling the director 'stupid' would be a personal insult. Saying an idea is 'foolish' means it was unwise, not that the person lacks intelligence.

unintelligent ↗stupid ↗dumb ↗slow ↗foolish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • find something unintelligent
  • describe something as unintelligent
  • consider something unintelligent

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the prefix 'un-' (meaning 'not') to 'intelligent', which comes from Latin 'intelligent-' (understanding, discerning), from 'intellegere' (to understand, to perceive), from 'inter' (between) + 'legere' (to choose, to pick out). The word 'intelligent' entered English in the early 1500s, and 'unintelligent' followed soon after as its straightforward negation.