dämlich
stupid
Colloquial for very stupid, silly, or clumsy. It often expresses annoyance or contempt about behavior or a statement.
EXAMPLE
Das war eine dämliche Idee, jetzt stehen wir im Stau.
That was a stupid idea; now we're stuck in traffic.
dämlich
stupid
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Meanings
Usage tips
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'Dämlich' (stupid) is a strongly colloquial and derogatory word. It should definitely be avoided in formal situations, emails, or official texts.
EXAMPLE
Sag doch nicht so was, das klingt total dämlich!
Don't say something like that; it sounds totally stupid!
Typical collocations
The adjective is often used to negatively judge actions or qualities. Typical combinations are 'eine dämliche Frage' (a stupid question), 'ein dämliches Grinsen' (a stupid grin), or the phrase 'sich dämlich anstellen' (to act stupidly / clumsily).
EXAMPLE
Er hat sich bei der Präsentation ziemlich dämlich angestellt.
He acted pretty stupidly during the presentation.
Use as an exclamation
You can also use 'dämlich' (stupid) on its own as a short exclamation to express annoyance or frustration about a stupid situation.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe den Schlüssel drinnen vergessen. Dämlich!
I forgot the key inside. Stupid!
Compare with
dämlich vs dumm
stupid / unfortunate
“Dumm” and “dämlich” can criticize a bad decision. “Dumm” is the broader term, while “dämlich” sounds more colloquial and often expresses stronger annoyance or contempt. “Dumm” is more suitable for a matter-of-fact criticism, while “dämlich” is more suitable for a clearly irritated reaction.
dämlich
Ich ärgere mich, weil es dämlich von mir war, den Vertrag nicht zu lesen.
I’m annoyed because it was stupid of me not to read the contract.
dumm
Rückblickend war es dumm von mir, den Vertrag nicht zu lesen.
Looking back, it was stupid of me not to read the contract.
In real life
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