Intelligence: English Vocabulary List

possessing wisdom, sound judgment, or prudence

"The sage gave wise advice."

"The sage old man gave me excellent advice about my career that I will never forget."

evaluating situations, people, or ideas with clarity and wisdom

"She has a discerning eye for art."

"The discerning customer chose the expensive wine because she knew it was better quality."

involving careful thought, analysis, and intellectual engagement

"The movie is too cerebral for children."

"The cerebral movie was too intellectual for children but adults found it very interesting."

slow to grasp or understand information

"He is dense."

"Despite the clear instructions, he remained dense and unable to comprehend the complex task."

lacking brightness or mental sharpness

"His mind was dim."

"The dim light in the basement made it hard to see the old boxes."

slow or reluctant to understand things or respond emotionally to something

"He was too obtuse to understand the joke."

"He was too obtuse to understand the joke and asked me to explain it twice."

lacking meaning or logical coherence

"That idea is nonsensical."

"The nonsensical instructions made no sense so we just guessed what to do next."