unintelligent
/ˌʌnɪnˈtelɪdʒənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌʌnɪnˈtelɪdʒənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌən-in-ˈte-lə-jənt/ (ame, mw)
unintelligent — 形容詞
- unintelligentpositive
- more unintelligentcomparative
- most unintelligentsuperlative
1. slow to learn or understand things, or not able to think in a clear and logical
不聰明
理解或學習事物較慢、不善思考
slow to learn or understand things, or not able to think in a clear and logical way
Imran's question was not unintelligent, but he had not read the instructions carefully.
Imran 的問題並非不聰明，只是他沒有仔細閱讀說明。
not unintelligent — litotes (double negative) for a softer judgement
The film critic described the movie as unintelligent and full of boring action scenes.
那位影評人說這部電影不聰明，而且充滿了無聊的動作場面。
collocation: describe + something + as + unintelligent
Élise rejected the proposal because she found it unintelligent and poorly planned.
Élise 否決了這項提案，因為她覺得它既不聰明又規劃得不夠周詳。
Zayd felt annoyed with himself for making such an unintelligent remark at the meeting.
Zayd 對自己在會議上講出這麼不聰明的話感到懊惱。
- 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
- 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
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
❗ '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.