Ways to say if someone is intelligent or stupid

• Knowledgeable

E.g. She is very knowledgeable about plants.

• Brilliant

E.g. What a brilliant idea!

• Brainy

E.g. He’s a brainy kid.

• Smart

E.g. I have to be smart for work.

• Clever

E.g. How clever of you to work it out!

Alternative Ways to Say Someone is Intelligent

– He’s really on the ball.

– She doesn’t miss a trick.

– He’s a bright spark.

– She’s got her head screwed on right.

– He’s quick off the mark.

– She’s a sharp cookie.

– He’s a nobody’s fool.

– She’s a walking encyclopaedia (Very knowledgeable)

Other Ways to Say: Stupid

• Dump

E.g. Hey, are you dumb?‘ he shouted.

• Silly    

E.g. Her work is full of silly mistakes.

• Foolish

E.g. I was foolish enough to believe what Jeff told me.

• Idiotic  

E.g. Don’t be so idiotic!

• Daft    

E.g. Don’t be so daft!

• Gormless (British, informal)  

E.g. Don’t just stand there looking gormless—do something!

• Dorky (informal)         

E.g. He was a dorky kid.

• Ass    

E.g. I made an ass of myself at the meeting—standing up and then forgetting the question.

• Ill-advised        

E.g. Her remarks were ill-advised, to say the least.

• Naive  

E.g. I can’t believe you were so naive as to trust him!

Ways to Say Someone is not Very Intelligent

– He’s a bit slow.

– She’s a complete idiot.

– He doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about.

– She’s a bit slow on the uptake.

– He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

– He’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.

– She can’t put two and two together.

– He’s as dumb as a post.