What it means
A dunce is a stupid or slow-witted person, especially in old-school classroom talk. It used to be a sharper insult for the kid seen as thick or unable to learn. These days it often lands lighter, sometimes even self-mocking, for a daft mistake that makes you feel like a proper idiot for a minute.
Usage examples
"They sat the class dunce at the front, though he turned out to be a brilliant mechanic the moment he left school."
"Call me a dunce, but I read the instructions three times and still built the shelf upside down."
"I felt a complete dunce when the teacher pointed out I had spelled my own street name wrong on the form."
"I locked myself out with the keys still in my hand. Absolute dunce move."
"Don't be such a dunce, mate, the answer's literally on the screen."
Where it comes from
It comes from the name of the medieval scholar John Duns Scotus. Later, his followers got mocked by newer thinkers as stubborn and behind the times, and Duns turned into dunce. Bit of a cruel historical plot twist really, since the original man was known for being seriously brainy.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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