[ad. L. stupiditās, f. stupid-us: see STUPID and -ITY. Cf. F. stupidité, It. stupidità.]
† 1. Numbness, incapacity for sensation. Obs.
Stupidity of the teeth = late L. stupor dentium: see STUPOR 1.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 83. It is also good against the inflammation of the eares, the stupidity and dulnesse of the teeth.
1653. R. Sanders, Physiogn., 186. A dull stupidity of the head and sences.
1661. Lovell, Hist. Anim. & Min., 201. The signes of their wounds are great paine,… blacknesse, and stupidity of the part.
1702. Floyer, Cold Bathing, I. (1709), 139. The Nature and Cure of a Torpor or Stupidity of the Limbs.
1737. Bracken, Farriery Impr. (1757), II. 273. Those Things which take away Pain by causing a Stupidity.
† 2. The condition of being deprived of the use of the faculties; a state of stupor. Obs.
1604. R. Cawdrey, Table Alph. Stupiditie, dulnesse: astonishment.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 267. Pharaoh was taken with such stupiditie that … hee had no power.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., VI. 252. As now thee To view (O Virgin) a stupiditie Past admiration strikes me.
1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., V. (1626), 102. Stone-like stood Ceres at this heauy newes;… When griefe had quickned her stupiditie, Shee tooke her Chariot, and ascends the skie.
1622. Wotton, in L. P. Smith, Life & Lett. (1907), II. 236. One of my gondoliers … was suddenly strucken with a silent stupidity, his feet going from him.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt, 39. The dreadfull bellowing … sounded like the dreadfull doome, And them with such stupidity benummes, As though [etc.].
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., VI. 169. Causing onely a gentle Sleep, in no wise a Stupidity.
1684. W. Russell, Phys. Treatise, 117. I … found her drowsie, tho the Cold and Stupidity were somewhat less.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 381. The pain in her head became so acute, as to produce at times, actions of violence, which rendered confinement necessary, and the intervals were marked by stupidity.
1831. Examiner, 764/2. ‘Locus’ was a cant word to describe the act of putting a man in a state of stupidity.
† 3. Incapacity for emotion; lack of feeling or interest, apathy, indifference. Obs.
1568. G. Skeyne, Pest (Bannatyne Club), 15. The cause quhairby few ar preseruit … is maist euident … the negligence & Stupiditie of mankynd, contemptioun of medicine, [etc.].
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxvii. § 3. Shall I wish that men would more giue themselues to meditate with silence what we haue by the Sacrament, & lesse to dispute of the manner how? If any man suppose that this were too great stupiditie and dulnes, let vs see whether [etc.].
1668. Clarendon, Contempl. Ps., Tracts (1727), 688. The stupidity of the heart alone is the cause of all desperate incogitance.
a. 1672. Wilkins, Nat. Relig., 387. It supposes them to have … such a stupidity upon their consciences, as makes them past feeling.
1701. G. Stanhope, Medit. St. Aug., xl. (1720), 105. Awaken my stupidity, quicken my deadness.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. (Globe), 89. A certain Stupidity of Soul, without Desire of Good, or Conscience of Evil, had entirely overwhelm’d me.
1724. Bolingbroke, Lett., 12 Sept., in Swift’s Lett. (1766), II. 37. It is neither sickness, nor journies, nor ill humours, nor age, nor vexation, nor stupidity, which has hindered me from answering sooner your letter.
1748. Hartley, Observ. Man, II. iv. § 4. 412. If indeed a Man’s Despair should make him … harden himself in a careless Stupidity with respect to his future Condition.
† b. Insensibility to pain or sorrow; blameable absence of resentment under injury or insult. Obs.
1627. Donne, Serm., xliv. (1640), 443. Without this [belief in the Trinity], all morall vertues are but diseases;… Active valour is but a fury, whatsoever we do, and passive valour is but a stupidity, whatsoever we suffer.
1661. Cowley, Cromwell, Ess., etc. (1906), 362. The continuance of those oppressions upon the people, which will at last tire out their patience, though it be great even to stupidity.
a. 1673. Stillingfl., Serm., vi. (1673), 110. Stupidity then under sufferings can be no part of the excellency of a man; which in its greatest height is in the Beings the most beneath him.
4. Dullness or slowness of apprehension; gross want of intelligence.
1541. R. Copland, Galyen’s Terap., 2 C ij b. Nowe we must esteme the stupydyte or audacyte of the man. I say the stupidite yf he thynke to say well and the boldnes yf he fele hym selfe culpable to saye nothynge.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., III. v. I forgive Mr. Stephen, for he is stupiditie it selfe!
1620. T. Granger, Div. Logike, 110. Stupiditie a naturall impotencie to vnderstand easily.
1675. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 292. God watt his stupiditie will find it a hard Taske to learn one [sc. a trade].
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., II. x. § 8. 67. It moves slowly, and retrieves not the Ideas, that it has, and are laid up in store, quick enough to serve the Mind upon occasions. This, if it be to a great degree, is Stupidity.
1759. Goldsm., Pres. St. Pol. Learn., iv. But let the Germans have their due: if they are dull, no nation alive … better understands all the decorums of stupidity.
1774. H. Walpole, Lett. to C’tess Upper Ossory, 14 June. Mr. Anstey … has published the most complete piece of stupidity I ever read. It is a satire on a parson who [etc.].
1831. Carlyle, Sartor Res., II. vii. With Stupidity and sound Digestion man may front much.
1880. ‘Mark Twain,’ Tramp Abr., viii. 58. ‘Have you engaged a hearse?’ ‘Bless my stupidity, I never thought of it!’
1896. Law Times, CI. 516/1. On the average, stupidity in the Church gets better paid than brains at the Bar.
1913. Woodrow Wilson, New Freedom, iii. 74. In public affairs stupidity is more dangerous than knavery, because harder to fight and dislodge.
b. A stupid idea, action, etc.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, Ch. Militant, 153. Their hearts Are given over … To such Mahometan stupidities, As the old heathen would deem prodigies.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 245. There … is an infinity of learned Men, who would think themselves Hereticks in Philosophy, if they … thought to search after Truth elsewhere…. This is so great a Stupidity, that [etc.].
1851. N. Brit. Rev., XV. 467. The dull stupidities and senseless flippancies of Roman architecture.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. xxiii. 525. To … enlightened persons … such themes … are of course, mere obsolete stupidities.
1870. Dasent, Ann. Eventful Life, III. iv. 74. Of all our escapades and stupidities on the journey I decline to dwell.
1874. Micklethwaite, Mod. Par. Churches, 115. One of the stock stupidities of modern times is belief in a vista.
5. Obstinacy. dial.
1886. S. W. Linc. Gloss., Stupidity, obstinacy, not dullness. They understood it well enough; it was stupidity, and nowt else.
