dummy 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of dummynext
as in fake
being such in appearance only and made with or manufactured from usually cheaper materials the dummy shutters on the house are actually made of vinyl and are for decoration only

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dummy

2 of 2

noun

ˈdə-mē How to pronounce dummy (audio)
1
as in idiot
a stupid person it's obvious that she's in love with you, you dummy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in doll
a three-dimensional representation of the human body used especially for displaying clothes the dummies were arranged in the store window as if they were acting out scenes

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in copy
something that is made to look exactly like something else for the movie, the props department made a dummy of the lunar module actually used in the mission

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dummy
Adjective
But a California man using a fake ID and dummy books stole rare texts worth more than $200,000. — Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 15 July 2026 Decoy launchers, false positions, and dummy equipment can force an attacker to spend surveillance resources or weapons on targets that have little military value. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Noun
Does a dummy need to have strings to be a puppet, or does a puppet need to have a moving mouth to be a dummy? — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 Many of the dummies evolved admirably over the competition’s final hour, complete with fine laugh lines and subtle details like creeping wisps of nose hair, which were gingerly applied with tweezers and Krazy Glue. — John Semley, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dummy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dummy
  1. fake
  2. moron
  3. doll
  4. copy
  5. faux
  6. stupid
  7. mannequin
  8. replica
Adjective
  • Jump scares, dudes with chainsaws, fake blood and adult drinks accentuated with gummy worms.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Days later, Britain’s AI Security Institute said that Anthropic’s most advanced AI model had used fake identities to cover its tracks and attempt to plant malicious code during testing.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fake
Noun
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
  • Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • As a child, Madix would put on shows for her pug, Ming, and a doll of Fievel, the mouse from An American Tail.
    — Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The founders of iconic brands such as Ideal, Mattel, Marx, Hasbro, Kenner, Wham-O and Madame Alexander dolls shared roots in Yiddish-speaking Europe, and childhoods as the sons and daughters of immigrants.
    — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of doll
Noun
  • Cinema is a relatively young art form; the idea of owning a personal copy of a film is an even more recent invention.
    — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Organizers left a copy of the letter on the floor of the business’ entryway.
    — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of copy
Adjective
  • Dash, 2026, the forty-seven-minute, two-channel essay-film at the project’s core, is filled with quiet, almost meditative scenes of machines tilling the land that initially conjure a faux-pastoral aesthetic register.
    — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • These best-selling boots are the perfect pairing for your faux-suede purse.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of faux
Noun
  • My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.
    — Alex Crippen, CNBC, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Problem is, even people who know baseball don’t know baseball, which makes betting on baseball stupid.
    — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • Johansson recounted how, during one studio session, Saab picked up a single piece of black fabric and twisted, turned, and draped it into a bustier dress right on the mannequin.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The need for data Inside the headquarters of UBTech Robotics, one of China’s biggest humanoid robot firms, a silver-and-black mannequin picks up a box, stomps across the floor, and mechanically places the box on a shelf.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mannequin
Noun
  • Today, replicas of various degrees of accuracy are readily available.
    — David Szondy August 30, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After a project is complete, actors must sign off and be paid the equivalent of an in-person performance if their replica is used.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of replica

Phrases Containing dummy

Browse Nearby Words

dummkopfs
dummy
dummying up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dummy. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dummy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dummy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All