dunces
|dunce|
/dʌns/
(dunce)
slow learner
Etymology
'dunce' originates from the name 'Duns Scotus' (the 13th-century scholastic theologian John Duns Scotus) via Middle English followers called 'Duns' or 'Dunsmen', where the proper name referred to that scholar and his followers.
'dunce' changed from names for followers of Duns Scotus (Middle English forms like 'Duns' or 'Dunsman'/'Dunse') into an English noun 'dunce' and eventually took on a pejorative sense 'stupid person'.
Initially it meant 'a follower or supporter of Duns Scotus' (a learned theologian), but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a slow or stupid person'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'dunce'.
The teacher pointed at the dunces in the back of the class.
Synonyms
Noun 2
stupid people; people who are slow to learn or show a lack of intelligence.
Don't be so hard on the dunces — everyone learns at a different pace.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/09/26 20:49