Boneheadedness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of acting in a stubborn or foolish manner
2. A state of showing poor judgment or slow understanding
3. The condition of being obstinate or lacking sense in decisions

Etymology: "Boneheadedness" is simply the noun form of "boneheaded," with the suffix "-ness" attached to it. The suffix "-ness" is one of English's oldest and most productive noun-makers, turning adjectives into nouns for a quality or state, so "stubbornness" comes from "stubborn" and "kindness" from "kind" in the same way. "Boneheaded" itself combines "bone" and "headed," where "bone" is used in its old sense of the skull or head, as in "bonehead," a slang term for a dim-witted person. The compound describes someone whose head seems to be made of bone, impervious to sense. The noun built on it names the trait of that obstinate stupidity, and so the word means exactly what its parts suggest: foolishness that refuses to bend.

Synonyms: foolishness, stupidity, senselessness

Antonyms: wisdom, intelligence