dumb
UK: dʌm | US: dʌm
adj. lacking the power of speech (of animals or humans)
adj. temporarily unable or unwilling to speak (e.g., struck dumb)
adj. (informal) stupid or foolish
vt. (archaic) to make silent or mute
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The word "dumb" traces back to Old English dumb, meaning "mute, silent," derived from Proto-Germanic dumbaz. It shares roots with German dumm (stupid) and Dutch dom (foolish), reflecting a semantic shift from "mute" to "stupid" in some Germanic languages. Originally tied to physical speechlessness, its informal sense of "foolish" emerged in the 19th century, likely influenced by the association of silence with lack of intelligence.
The injury left him temporarily dumb.
She stood dumb with shock after hearing the news.
(Informal) That was a dumb mistake to make.
In medieval times, jesters pretended to be dumb for entertainment.
The law once dumbed dissidents by force.