Big Dumb Object

noun

A large and mysterious object of extraterrestrial origin containing immense power, thought of as a common trope of science fiction.

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Meanings

nounBig Dumb Object (plural Big Dumb Objects)

plural Big Dumb Objects

  1. ironicscience fiction criticismA large and mysterious object of extraterrestrial origin containing immense power, thought of as a common trope of science fiction.

Origin

Coined by British critic and writer Roz Kaveney in 1981.

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Cite this entry
APA

Big Dumb Object. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Dumb%20Object

MLA

“Big Dumb Object.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Dumb%20Object. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Big Dumb Object,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Big%20Dumb%20Object.

Source: Big Dumb Object on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.