How do you use "Dunce" in a sentence?

He sat in the corner like a dunce. Don't be such a dunce. The class dunce.

Dunce

Q: What does "Dunce" mean?

A stupid person; someone slow to learn. 'Dunce' describes a slow learner or stupid person, famously associated with the dunce cap used to shame students. Named after John Duns Scotus, whose followers were mocked as 'Dunces' by Renaissance scholars.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual

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Meaning: A stupid person; someone slow to learn.

蠢人；学习迟钝的人。

Una persona estúpida; alguien lento para aprender.

バカな人。覚えが遅い人。

바보 같은 사람. 배움이 느린 사람.

'Dunce' describes a slow learner or stupid person, famously associated with the dunce cap used to shame students. Named after John Duns Scotus, whose followers were mocked as 'Dunces' by Renaissance scholars.

'Dunce'形容学习迟钝或愚蠢的人，以用于羞辱学生的'蠢人帽'而闻名。以约翰·邓斯·司各脱的名字命名，文艺复兴时期的学者嘲笑他的追随者为'Dunces'。

'Dunce' describe a alguien que aprende lento o a una persona estúpida, famosamente asociado con el gorro de burro usado para avergonzar a los estudiantes. Lleva el nombre de John Duns Scotus, cuyos seguidores fueron ridiculizados como 'Dunces' por los eruditos del Renacimiento.

「Dunce」は覚えが遅い人やバカな人を表し、生徒を辱めるために使われた「ダンスキャップ（バカ帽子）」で有名です。スコットランドの哲学者ジョン・ドゥンス・スコトゥスの名前に由来し、ルネサンスの学者たちが彼の弟子たちを「Dunces」と嘲笑しました。

'Dunce'는 학습이 느리거나 바보 같은 사람을 묘사하며, 학생에게 수치심을 주기 위해 씌웠던 '던스 모자'로 유명하다. 르네상스 학자들에 의해 추종자들이 'Dunces'라고 조롱당한 존 던스 스코투스의 이름에서 유래했다.

Examples

He sat in the corner like a dunce.
他像个笨蛋一样坐在角落里
Se sentó en la esquina como un burro
彼はバカみたいに隅に座っていた
그는 바보처럼 구석에 앉아 있었다.
Don't be such a dunce.
别那么笨
No seas tan burro
そんなにバカなことするな
그렇게 바보 같이 굴지 마.
The class dunce.
班上的差生
El burro de la clase
クラスの落ちこぼれ
반에서 꼴찌.

Pronunciation

/dʌns/

Usage Guide

Context: insult, education

Tone: insulting, old-fashioned

✓ Do Say

For slow learners
形容学习迟钝的人
Para personas que aprenden lento
覚えが遅い人に対して
배움이 느린 사람에게

✗ Don't Say

Dunce caps are cruel—don't actually use them
蠢人帽是残酷的——不要真的使用
Los gorros de burro son crueles, no deben usarse de verdad
ダンスキャップは残酷——実際に使ってはいけない
던스 모자는 잔인하다—실제로 사용하지 말 것

Common Mistakes

Historical cruel practice in schools

Origin & History

Named after John Duns Scotus (c.1266-1308), a scholastic philosopher. His followers (Dunsmen/Dunces) resisted Renaissance learning, so 'dunce' came to mean someone incapable of learning new ideas.

Etymology: From John Duns Scotus

First recorded: 16th century

Cultural Context

Era: 16th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Dunce cap imagery

Regional notes: Universal English.

Story & Trivia

The philosopher John Duns Scotus was highly respected in medieval times, but his followers resisted Renaissance ideas. Humanist scholars mocked them as 'Dunses' (later 'dunces'), transforming a scholar's name into a word for stupidity.

Variations

DunceDunce cap