#499. Imbecility. Folly -- N. want of -intelligence &c. 498, want of - intellect &c. 450; shadowness[obs], silliness, foolishness &c. adj.; imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let; stupidity, stolidity; hebetude[obs], dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness; incompetence &c (unskillfulness) 699.
one's weak side, not one's strong point; bias &c 481; infatuation &c. (insanity) 503.
simplicity, puerility, babyhood; dotage, anility[obs], second childishness, fatuity; idiocy, idiotism[obs]; driveling.
folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity[obs], inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit; sophistry &c. 477; giddiness &c (inattention) 458; eccentricity &c. 503; extravagance &c (absurdity) 497; rashness &c. 863.
act of folly &c. 699.
b. be - imbecile &c adj.; have no -brains, have no sense &c. 498.
trifle, drivel, radoter[obs], dote; ramble &c (madness) 503; play the fool, play the monkey, monkey around, fool around; take leave of one's senses (insanity) 503; not see an inch beyond one's nose; stultify oneself &c. 699; talk nonsense &c. 497.
Adj. unintelligent[Applied to persons], unintellectual, unreasoning; mindless, witless, reasoningless[obs], brainless; halfbaked; having no head &c. 498; not -bright &c. 498; inapprehensible[obs].
weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed[obs], chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded[obs]; beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed.
weak-minded, feeble-minded; dull minded, shallow minded, lack-brained; rattle-brained, rattle headed; half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated[obs], clod-pated[obs], addle- pated[obs]; dim-sighted, short-sighted; thick-skulled; weak in the upper story.
shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony; dull, dull as a beetle; stupid, heavy, insulse[obs], obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish; asinine; inapt &c. 699; prosaic &c. 843; hebetudinous[obs].
childish, child-like; infantine[obs], infantile, babyish, babish[obs]; puerile, anile; simple &c. (credulous) 486; old-womanish.
fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling; blatant, babbling; vacant; sottish; bewildered &c.475.
blockish[obs], unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic; bovine; ungifted, undiscerning[obs], unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical[obs]; apish; simious[obs].
foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept; maudlin.
narrow-minded &c. 481; bigoted &c. (obstinate) 606; giddy &c. (thoughtless) 458; rash &c. 863; eccentric &c. (crazed) 503.
[Applied to actions] foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine; ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised; mal entendu[Fr]; inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical[obs]; extravagant &c (nonsensical) 497; sleeveless, idle; pointless, useless &c. 645; inexpedient &c. 647; frivolous &c. (trivial) 643.
Phr. Davus sum non [Lat][Oedipus]; "a fool's bolt is soon shot" clitellae bovi sunt impositae [obs][Henry V.][Lat][Cicero]; "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" [Pope]; il n' a ni bouche ni eperon [Fr]; "the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read" [Pope]; "to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound" [Churchill].