WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
dum•my /ˈdʌmi/USA pronunciation   n., pl. -mies, adj. 
n. [countable]
  1. Slang Termsan object resembling a human figure, such as for displaying clothes:the dummy in the shop window.
  2. Informal Termsan imitation or copy of something, such as for use in a display:lipstick dummies made of colored plastic.
  3. [Informal.]a stupid person;
    fool;
    dolt:Some dummy mixed up our application.
  4. a person who has nothing to say or who takes no active part in affairs.
  5. one put forward to act for others while pretending to act for himself or herself.
  6. [Slang.]
    • [Offensive.]a person who lacks the power of speech.
    • a person who is always silent.
  7. Games(in bridge)
    • the hand which is exposed and played by the person who has won the bidding.
  8. Militarya bomb that cannot explode, used for practice exercises.

adj. [before a noun]
  1. noting or relating to an imitation or copy:some dummy shells in the gun.
  2. put forward to act for others while seeming to act for oneself:a dummy corporation that was actually controlled by a conglomerate.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
dum•my  (dumē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -mies, adj., v., -mied, -my•ing. 
n. 
  1. Informal Termsa representation or copy of something, as for displaying to indicate appearance:a display of lipstick dummies made of colored plastic.
  2. Slang Termsa representation of a human figure, as for displaying clothes in store windows.
  3. [Informal.]a stupid person;
    dolt.
  4. a person who has nothing to say or who takes no active part in affairs.
  5. one put forward to act for others while ostensibly acting for oneself.
  6. [Slang]
    • (offensive). a person who lacks the power of speech.
    • a person who is characteristically and habitually silent.
  7. Games[Bridge.]
    • the declarer's partner, whose hand is exposed and played by the declarer.
    • the hand of cards so exposed.
    • a game so played.
    • an imaginary player represented by an exposed hand that is played by and serves as partner to one of the players.
  8. British Termspacifier (def. 2).
  9. [Print.]sheets folded and made up to show the size, shape, form, sequence, and general style of a contemplated piece of printing.
  10. Metallurgya rammer for pushing out dents in lead pipe.
  11. [Computers.]an artificial address, instruction, or other datum fed into a computer only to fulfill prescribed conditions and not affecting operations for solving problems.
  12. Militarya nonexplosive bomb used for practice exercises.
  13. Dentistrypontic.

adj. 
  1. noting or pertaining to an imitation, representation, or copy.
  2. counterfeit;
    sham;
    fictitious.
  3. put forward to act for others while ostensibly acting for oneself.
  4. [Cards.]played with a dummy.

v.t. 
  1. [Print.]to prepare a dummy of (often fol. by up):The designer dummied up the book so that they could study the format.
  2. to represent in a dummy (often fol. by in):to dummy in an illustration.
  3. dummy up, [Informal.]to keep silent;
    refuse to answer:If anybody asks you, just dummy up.
  • 1590–1600; 1915–20, American. for def. 20; dumb + -y3

'dummy up' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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