Dunce
dʌns
Definitions
A person who is slow to learn; a stupid person.
dʌns
A person considered to be slow-witted or stupid.
He was labeled a dunce by his classmates for his poor performance in math.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone who just doesn't get it, even after you explain it a bunch of times. That's a dunce! Like, if you're trying to explain how to build with Legos and someone keeps putting the blocks on backwards, they might be a dunce in Lego-building.
👶 For kids: A dunce is someone who's not very smart or takes a long time to learn something.
More Examples
The child was often called a dunce by their frustrated tutor.
Don't be a dunce; read the instructions carefully before you start.
How It's Used
"The teacher called him a dunce after he failed the test."
"Some historical accounts label certain students as 'dunce' for not understanding scholastic principles."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From the name of John Duns Scotus, a 13th-century philosopher and theologian, whose followers (the Dunsmen or Dunces) were later ridiculed for their adherence to scholasticism and perceived intellectual rigidity.
Historically, the term was often used in educational settings to deride students who struggled with specific subjects or didn't conform to academic norms.
Memory tip
Think of a 'dunce' wearing a conical hat in the corner of the classroom.
Word Origin
"Derived from the name John Duns Scotus, a 13th-century philosopher."