imbecile

1 of 2

noun

im·be·cile ˈim-bə-səl How to pronounce imbecile (audio)

-ˌsil

plural imbeciles

: a foolish or stupid person

… his anger burst forth freely—"… I have behaved like an imbecile! I should never have left that case here. I should have carried it away with me. …"

Agatha Christie

dated, now offensive, see usage paragraph below : a person affected with moderate intellectual disability

imbecile

2 of 2

adjective

: weak, feeble

There, then, he sat, holding up that imbecile candle in the heart of that almighty forlornness.

Herman Melville

Synonyms

Noun

airhead
birdbrain
blockhead
bonehead
bubblehead
chowderhead
chucklehead
clodpoll
clodpole
clot [British]
cluck
clunk
cretin
cuddy [British dialect]
cuddie
deadhead
dim bulb [slang]
dimwit
dip
dodo
dolt
donkey
doofus [slang]
dope
dork [slang]
dullard
dum-dum
dumbbell
dumbhead
dummkopf
dummy
dunce
dunderhead
fathead
gander
golem
goof
goon
half-wit
hammerhead
hardhead
idiot
ignoramus
jackass
know-nothing
knucklehead
lamebrain
loggerhead [chiefly dialect]
loon
lump
lunkhead
meathead
mome [archaic]
moron
mug [chiefly British]
mutt
natural
nimrod [slang]
nincompoop
ninny
ninnyhammer
nit [chiefly British]
nitwit
noddy
noodle
numskull
numbskull
oaf
pinhead
prat [British]
ratbag [chiefly Australian]
saphead
schlub [slang]
shlub
schnook [slang]
simpleton
stock
stupe
stupid
thickhead
turkey
woodenhead
yahoo
yo-yo

See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Example Sentences

Noun He drank too much and started acting like a complete imbecile. only an imbecile would leave their car unlocked, with the keys in the ignition, and then be surprised when the vehicle was stolen

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Evil is insolent and strong; beauty enchanting but rare; goodness very apt to be weak; folly very apt to be defiant; wickedness to carry the day; imbeciles to be in great places, people of sense in small, and mankind generally unhappy.

Sam Sacks, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2016 Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government.

Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2016

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of imbecile entry 2

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French and Latin; Middle French imbecile, imbecille, borrowed from Latin imbēcillus "physically weak, feeble, fragile (of materials), deficient in power, lacking intellectual or moral strength," of obscure origin

Note: In the Leiden scholia on Juvenal the word imbēcillis is explained as "quasi sine baculo" ("as if without a staff"), taking the word as formed from the negative prefix in- (see in- entry 1) and bacillum, a diminutive of baculum "staff." But there are both formal and semantic problems with such an etymology: Lucretius and Horace have the e as a long vowel; and for a word meaning "frail" a compound meaning "with a staff" would be more likely than "without a staff."

First Known Use

Noun

1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1550, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

imbecile

noun

im·be·cile ˈim-bə-səl, -ˌsil How to pronounce imbecile (audio)

dated, now offensive, see usage paragraph below

: a person affected with moderate intellectual disability

Usage of Imbecile

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives, such as imbecility, were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. These uses were broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and are now considered offensive.

imbecile 1 of 2

noun

as in idiot

a stupid person only an imbecile would leave their car unlocked, with the keys in the ignition, and then be surprised when the vehicle was stolen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

idiot
moron
stupid
lunatic
prat
dolt
dummy
fool
ignoramus
loser
dimwit
dullard
dunderhead
dunce
blockhead
mutt
simpleton
cretin
goose
jackass
oaf
knucklehead
numskull
natural
ninny
bonehead
donkey
numbskull
nitwit
chucklehead
lamebrain
dumbhead
loon
doofus
pinhead
airhead
goon
lunkhead
dummkopf
nimrod
stupe
goof
clown
nincompoop
half-wit
meathead
hardhead
know-nothing
schnook
jerk
dope
dork
golem
fathead
turkey
buffoon
schlub
deadhead
chowderhead
birdbrain
noddy
saphead
ratbag
cluck
yahoo
hammerhead
villain
dip
gander
mome
loggerhead
clunk
dodo
shlub
bubblehead
thickhead
madman
dumb cluck
noodle
lump
clodpole
cuddy
dumbbell
dum-dum
nit
loony
ninnyhammer
stock
clodpoll
dim bulb
clot
woodenhead
cuddie
skunk
booby
snake
zany
yo-yo
boor
nut
creep
beast
mug
scatterbrain
cad
gawk
cur
stinker
heel
churl
featherbrain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

genius
brain
intellect
intellectual
thinker
sage
whiz
wizard
polymath
sharpie
Renaissance man
sharpy

imbecile

2 of 2

adjective

variants or imbecilic

as in idiotic

Synonyms & Similar Words

idiotic
moronic
stupid
dumb
foolish
inane
witless
fatuous
asinine
brainless
nonsensical
ridiculous
simpleminded
lunatic
absurd
unwise
ludicrous
half-witted
pathetic
laughable
derisive
harebrained
silly
farcical
weak-minded
risible
jerky
comical
loony
idiotical
preposterous
mad
insane
daft
half-baked
derisory
cuckoo
inconceivable
daffy
screwball
unreasonable
senseless
cockamamy
dotty
nutty
unbelievable
irrational
cockamamie
incredible
wacky
illogical
looney
kooky
unrealistic
crazy
whacky
unreal
kookie
cockeyed
balmy
fantastic
fantastical
far-fetched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

serious
earnest
solemn
rational
logical
reasonable
sensible
conceivable
credible
realistic
believable

单词	imbecile
释义	imbecile 1 of 2 noun im·be·cile ˈim-bə-səl -ˌsil plural imbeciles 1 : a foolish or stupid person … his anger burst forth freely—"… I have behaved like an imbecile! I should never have left that case here. I should have carried it away with me. …" Agatha Christie 2 dated, now offensive, see usage paragraph below : a person affected with moderate intellectual disability imbecile 2 of 2 adjective : weak, feeble There, then, he sat, holding up that imbecile candle in the heart of that almighty forlornness. Herman Melville Synonyms Noun airhead birdbrain blockhead bonehead bubblehead chowderhead chucklehead clodpoll clodpole clot [British] cluck clunk cretin cuddy [British dialect] cuddie deadhead dim bulb [slang] dimwit dip dodo dolt donkey doofus [slang] dope dork [slang] dullard dum-dum dumbbell dumbhead dummkopf dummy dunce dunderhead fathead gander golem goof goon half-wit hammerhead hardhead idiot ignoramus jackass know-nothing knucklehead lamebrain loggerhead [chiefly dialect] loon lump lunkhead meathead mome [archaic] moron mug [chiefly British] mutt natural nimrod [slang] nincompoop ninny ninnyhammer nit [chiefly British] nitwit noddy noodle numskull numbskull oaf pinhead prat [British] ratbag [chiefly Australian] saphead schlub [slang] shlub schnook [slang] simpleton stock stupe stupid thickhead turkey woodenhead yahoo yo-yo See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun He drank too much and started acting like a complete imbecile. only an imbecile would leave their car unlocked, with the keys in the ignition, and then be surprised when the vehicle was stolen Recent Examples on the Web Noun Evil is insolent and strong; beauty enchanting but rare; goodness very apt to be weak; folly very apt to be defiant; wickedness to carry the day; imbeciles to be in great places, people of sense in small, and mankind generally unhappy. Sam Sacks, WSJ, 18 Nov. 2016 Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government. Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2016 Word History Etymology Noun derivative of imbecile entry 2 Adjective borrowed from Middle French and Latin; Middle French imbecile, imbecille, borrowed from Latin imbēcillus "physically weak, feeble, fragile (of materials), deficient in power, lacking intellectual or moral strength," of obscure origin Note: In the Leiden scholia on Juvenal the word imbēcillis is explained as "quasi sine baculo" ("as if without a staff"), taking the word as formed from the negative prefix in- (see in- entry 1) and bacillum, a diminutive of baculum "staff." But there are both formal and semantic problems with such an etymology: Lucretius and Horace have the e as a long vowel; and for a word meaning "frail" a compound meaning "with a staff" would be more likely than "without a staff." First Known Use Noun 1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective circa 1550, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition imbecile noun im·be·cile ˈim-bə-səl : idiot, fool Medical Definition imbecile noun im·be·cile ˈim-bə-səl, -ˌsil dated, now offensive, see usage paragraph below : a person affected with moderate intellectual disability Usage of Imbecile The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives, such as imbecility, were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. These uses were broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and are now considered offensive. Legal Definition imbecile noun im·be·cile ˈim-bə-sil, -ˌsīl : an intellectually disabled person especially : a person with a severe intellectual disability —used formerly see also idiot imbecile 1 of 2 noun as in idiot a stupid person only an imbecile would leave their car unlocked, with the keys in the ignition, and then be surprised when the vehicle was stolen Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance idiot moron stupid lunatic prat dolt dummy fool ignoramus loser dimwit dullard dunderhead dunce blockhead mutt simpleton cretin goose jackass oaf knucklehead numskull natural ninny bonehead donkey numbskull nitwit chucklehead lamebrain dumbhead loon doofus pinhead airhead goon lunkhead dummkopf nimrod stupe goof clown nincompoop half-wit meathead hardhead know-nothing schnook jerk dope dork golem fathead turkey buffoon schlub deadhead chowderhead birdbrain noddy saphead ratbag cluck yahoo hammerhead villain dip gander mome loggerhead clunk dodo shlub bubblehead thickhead madman dumb cluck noodle lump clodpole cuddy dumbbell dum-dum nit loony ninnyhammer stock clodpoll dim bulb clot woodenhead cuddie skunk booby snake zany yo-yo boor nut creep beast mug scatterbrain cad gawk cur stinker heel churl featherbrain Antonyms & Near Antonyms genius brain intellect intellectual thinker sage whiz wizard polymath sharpie Renaissance man sharpy See More imbecile 2 of 2 adjective variants or imbecilic as in idiotic Synonyms & Similar Words idiotic moronic stupid dumb foolish inane witless fatuous asinine brainless nonsensical ridiculous simpleminded lunatic absurd unwise ludicrous half-witted pathetic laughable derisive harebrained silly farcical weak-minded risible jerky comical loony idiotical preposterous mad insane daft half-baked derisory cuckoo inconceivable daffy screwball unreasonable senseless cockamamy dotty nutty unbelievable irrational cockamamie incredible wacky illogical looney kooky unrealistic crazy whacky unreal kookie cockeyed balmy fantastic fantastical far-fetched Antonyms & Near Antonyms serious earnest solemn rational logical reasonable sensible conceivable credible realistic believable See More
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imbecile

noun

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

Medical Definition

noun

Usage of Imbecile

Legal Definition

noun

noun

adjective