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dummy
  noun
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dum·my | \ ˈdə-mē   \
plural  dummies
Definition of dummy
 (Entry 1 of 3)
1adated, offensive  : a person who is incapable of speaking
b: a person who is habitually silent
c: a stupid personHe's no dummy.She loves you, you dummy.

2card games
a: the exposed hand in bridge played by the declarer in addition to his or her
own hand
b: a bridge player whose hand is a dummy
3: an imitation, copy, or likeness of something used as a substitute: such as
a: MANNEQUINa crash test dummy
bfootball  : a stuffed figure or cylindrical bag used for tackling
(see TACKLE ENTRY 2 SENSE 1B) and blocking practice
centertainment  : a large puppet usually having movable features (such as
mouth and arms) manipulated by a ventriloquist
dchiefly British  : PACIFIER SENSE 2
4: one seeming to act independently but in reality controlled by
anothera dummy for the real store owner

5printing
a: a mock-up of a proposed publication (such as a book or magazine)
b: a set of pages (as for a newspaper or magazine) with the position of text
and artwork indicated for the printer (see PRINTER SENSE A)

dummy
  adjective
Definition of dummy (Entry 2 of 3)
1a: having the appearance of being real : ARTIFICIALdummy foods in the
display case
b: existing in name only : FICTITIOUSdummy corporations
2: apparently acting for oneself while really acting for or at the direction of
anothera dummy director

dummy
  verb
dummied; dummying
Definition of dummy (Entry 3 of 3)
transitive verb
publishing
 : to make a dummy (see DUMMY ENTRY 1 SENSE 5) of (something, such
as a publication) —often used with updummied up the front page
Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn
More About   dummy
Synonyms & Antonyms for dummy
Synonyms: Noun

 airhead, 
 birdbrain, 
 blockhead, 
 bonehead, 
 bubblehead, 
 chowderhead, 
 chucklehead, 
 clodpoll 
 (or clodpole), 
 clot 
 [British], 
 cluck, 
 clunk, 
 cretin, 
 cuddy 
 (or cuddie) 
 [British dialect], 
 deadhead, 
 dim bulb 
 [slang], 
 dimwit, 
 dip, 
 dodo, 
 dolt, 
 donkey, 
 doofus 
 [slang], 
 dope, 
 dork 
 [slang], 
 dullard, 
 dum-dum, 
 dumbbell, 
 dumbhead, 
 dummkopf, 
 dunce, 
 dunderhead, 
 fathead, 
 gander, 
 golem, 
 goof, 
 goon, 
 half-wit, 
 hammerhead , 
 hardhead, 
 idiot, 
 ignoramus, 
 imbecile, 
 jackass, 
 know-nothing, 
 knucklehead, 
 lamebrain , 
 loggerhead 
 [chiefly dialect], 
 loon, 
 lump, 
 lunkhead, 
 meathead, 
 mome 
 [archaic], 
 moron, 
 mug 
 [chiefly British], 
 mutt, 
 natural, 
 nimrod 
 [slang], 
 nincompoop , 
 ninny, 
 ninnyhammer , 
 nit 
 [chiefly British], 
 nitwit, 
 noddy, 
 noodle, 
 numskull 
 (or numbskull), 
 oaf, 
 pinhead, 
 prat 
 [British], 
 ratbag 
 [chiefly Australian], 
 saphead, 
 schlub 
 (also shlub) 
 [slang], 
 schnook 
 [slang], 
 simpleton, 
 stock, 
 stupe, 
 stupid, 
 thickhead, 
 turkey, 
 woodenhead , 
 yahoo, 
 yo-yo

Synonyms: Adjective

 artificial, 
 bogus, 
 ersatz, 
 factitious, 
 fake, 
 false, 
 faux, 
 imitation, 
 imitative, 
 man-made, 
 mimic, 
 mock, 
 pretend, 
 sham, 
 simulated, 
 substitute, 
 synthetic

Antonyms: Noun

 brain, 
 genius

Antonyms: Adjective

 genuine, 
 natural, 
 real

Visit the Thesaurus for More  

Examples of dummy in a Sentence

Noun She loves you, you dummy. They practiced CPR on a dummy.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web: NounEach year, fire safety officials warn of
the dangers of fireworks and stage demonstrations of dummies that catch fire
and watermelons that explode. — Linda Trischitta, Sun-Sentinel.com, 10 July
2017Zuby said the Tesla Model S didn’t have a strong enough safety belt,
and a dummy used to simulate a driver in the small overlap test moved too
far forward during the crash, striking its head on the steering wheel. — Diana
Kruzman, USA TODAY, 6 July 2017
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect
current usage of the word 'dummy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of
Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback .

See More

First Known Use of dummy

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for dummy
Noun, Adjective, and Verb

DUMB ENTRY 1 + -Y ENTRY 4

Learn More About dummy

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Time Traveler for dummy

The first known use of dummy was in 1598

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near dummy
dummkopf
dummy
dummy duck
See More Nearby Entries  

Phrases Related to dummy

crash test dummy
dummy pill
dummy run
Statistics for dummy
Look-up Popularity
Top 1% of words
Cite this Entry
“Dummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dummy. Accessed 26 Aug.
2021.
Style: MLA

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More Definitions for dummy

dummy
  noun

English Language Learners Definition of dummy

 (Entry 1 of 2)
chiefly US, informal  : a stupid person
: a doll that is shaped like and is as large as a person
: a copy of a finished object that is used during practice or training

dummy
  adjective
English Language Learners Definition of dummy (Entry 2
of 2)
: looking real but not functioning or able to be used
See the full definition for  dummy in the English Language Learners
Dictionary
dummy
  noun
dum·my | \ ˈdə-mē   \
plural  dummies
Kids Definition of dummy
1: something shaped like a humana clothes store dummy
2: a doll used in a ventriloquist's act
3: a stupid person

dummy
  noun
dum·my | \ ˈdəm-ē   \
plural  dummies
Medical Definition of dummy
 (Entry 1 of 2)
1: a horse lacking the ability to respond to ordinary stimuli because of
cerebral damage especially following encephalomyelitis
2: PONTIC
3: PLACEBO

dummy
  adjective
Medical Definition of dummy (Entry 2 of 2)
: being a placebothose who unknowingly receive a dummy pill instead of
the real thing— Nicholas Wade

More from Merriam-Webster on dummy

Nglish: Translation of  dummy for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dummy for Arabic Speakers
 Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about   dummy

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