1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
his silly antics at office parties have earned him a reputation as a simpleton
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
she felt like such a simpleton for needing help to install her home theater
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of simpleton
Redmayne plays a creep; Henry, a yearner; Keoghan, a simpleton.
—
Glenn Whippcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
Keoghan’s village simpleton, who becomes a poor substitute friend for Farrell’s character, is both delightfully weird and gradually gutting as the traumas of his upbringing become clearer.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2022
Turning what could have been merely a simpleton into a lost soul, Keoghan’s work here is vivid and heartbreaking.
—Glenn Whippentertainment Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2022
Savvy and simpleton investors alike could easily pick apart Snap’s latest quarterly data.
—Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for simpleton
Glenn Whippcolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
Keoghan’s village simpleton, who becomes a poor substitute friend for Farrell’s character, is both delightfully weird and gradually gutting as the traumas of his upbringing become clearer.
—Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2022
Turning what could have been merely a simpleton into a lost soul, Keoghan’s work here is vivid and heartbreaking.
—Glenn Whippentertainment Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2022
Savvy and simpleton investors alike could easily pick apart Snap’s latest quarterly data.
—Jacob Carpenter, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for simpleton
Recent Examples of Synonyms for simpleton
Noun
-
Camp offered sanctuary, a mode of performance that didn’t suffer hypocritical fools gladly.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
-
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the city’s essential billionaire investor, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto, is no fool.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Sometimes too stupid is actually smartski but sometimes is just stupid stupid.—
Caroline Downey,
National Review,
27 Mar. 2025
-
An underrated gem — not enough people have seen this top-tier season — Squirrels Trip has some fabulous vocals, very funny lyrics, a heavy dose of stupid, and an engaging story.—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Though Monday’s goose chase ended up leading to a dead end, Swift is famous for teasing things months in advance and leaving Easter eggs for her fans to decode.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
27 May 2025
-
The hidden clues soon take them on a wild goose chase.—
Staff Author Published,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Simpleton.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/simpleton. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share