stupidly
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /stjˈuːpɪdli/
US
- /ˈstupədli/
Description
- foolishly
- without good sense
- in a very excessive way
"Stupidly" is often used when someone does something in a very foolish or careless way. It suggests poor judgment and usually carries a tone of frustration, regret, or disbelief. You might stupidly leave your keys in the ignition or stupidly tell a secret you promised to keep.
It is also common in informal English as an intensifier, where it means "extremely" or "to an unreasonable degree," often with a negative feeling. For example, something can be stupidly expensive, stupidly early, or stupidly hard. In that use, it does not describe intelligence. It simply adds strong emphasis.
"Stupidly" is an adverb with two common uses. The first and most direct meaning is "in a foolish or unwise way." In this sense, it describes an action that shows poor judgment, carelessness, or a lack of common sense. If someone stupidly ignores a warning, trusts the wrong person, or forgets something important, the word suggests that the mistake could probably have been avoided with a little more thought.
This use is often stronger than simply saying "foolishly." It can sound more emotional and more critical, as if the speaker is shocked, annoyed, or disappointed by what happened. For example, "He acted stupidly" sounds harsher than "He acted foolishly." Because of that, the word can feel judgmental, even when it is used about yourself: "I stupidly forgot to save the file."
The second common use is informal and works as an intensifier. In that pattern, "stupidly" means something like "extremely," "ridiculously," or "more than is reasonable." For example, "The tickets were stupidly expensive" means they were much too expensive, and "We had to wake up stupidly early" means much earlier than anyone wanted. Here, the word does not describe a foolish action. It adds emphasis to show that something feels excessive.
Context matters a lot. In serious situations, "stupidly" can sound blunt or insulting because it directly points to bad judgment. In lighter, informal speech, it is often used for humor or exaggeration: "I paid a stupidly high delivery fee" or "She gave me a stupidly easy puzzle." That tone is common in conversation.
So, "stupidly" can either describe doing something in a foolish way or emphasize that something is extreme in a way that feels unreasonable. Both uses are common, and the tone usually carries annoyance, regret, disbelief, or playful exaggeration.
Examples
- 1
Travel mistake
He stupidly left his passport in the taxi.
- 2
Overcommitment
I stupidly agreed to help without checking my schedule first.
- 3
Bad prediction
Stupidly, we thought the storm would pass in an hour.
Grammar
At the start of a sentence, stupidly can describe the whole action or decision.
- 4
Informal emphasis
The tickets were stupidly expensive, so we decided not to go.
Usage
stupidly + adjective
extremely, in an informal way
- 5
Easy task
The new app makes it stupidly easy to share photos.
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- stupidlyadverb