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Titular phrase serves the meaning well enough, just that I've got the nagging feeling of forgetting a more common, less conspicuous one. Intellectual deprivation could ring derogatory. Intellectual starvation... a bit strong.

Ashir
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scatterbrained, numskulled as in slow thinker, someone lacking intellectuality

Foboko describes scatterbrained as :

https://www.foboko.com/sentence-dictionary/english/scatterbrained

nescient as in ignorant

https://www.foboko.com/sentence-dictionary/english/nescient

Subrat Bavarian Bastola
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  • Hi Subrat Bavarian Bastola, welcome to ELU. This looks to be the start of a good answer. Would it be possible to provide references with excerpts as per site policy? – Bookeater Jan 04 '18 at 12:09
  • Thanks but as mentioned it's an idiom and not derogatory, though I should clarify it also starts with 'intellectual[ly]'. – Ashir Jan 04 '18 at 16:58
  • I'd preferred one of https://english.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/2573/what-good-reference-works-on-english-are-available but it serves. Maybe you can propose this site as well? – Bookeater Jan 05 '18 at 12:53
  • Similar: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/1482/what-are-your-favorite-english-language-tools – Bookeater Jan 05 '18 at 12:57