Definitions for simpleton
ˈsɪm pəl tənsim·ple·ton

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. simpleton, simplenoun

   a person lacking intelligence or common sense

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. simpletonnoun

   A simple person lacking common sense.

2. Etymology: simple + -ton (as in a surname). Abbreviation of simple Tony or Anthony (Grose 1811 Dictionary). Compare simplet, semplicione.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Simpletonnoun

   A silly mortal; a trifler; a foolish fellow. A low word.

   Etymology: from simple.

   A country farmer sent his man to look after an ox; the simpleton went hunting up and down till he found him in a wood. Roger L'Estrange.

   Those letters may prove a discredit, as lasting as mercenary scribblers, or curious simpletons can make it. Alexander Pope.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Simpleton

   In folklore, a simpleton is a person whose foolish actions are the subject of often-repeated stories. Simpletons are also known as noodles, fools, and gothamites. Folklore often holds, with no basis in fact, that certain towns or countries are thought to be home to large numbers of simpletons. The ancient Greeks told tales of stupid populations in Abdera and other cities; in Germany, men of Schilda are conspicuous in these stories; in Spain hundreds of jokes exist about the supposed foolishness of the people from Lepe; and in England, the village of Gotham in Nottinghamshire is reputed to be populated by simpletons. In Sri Lanka whole districts in the central, southern, and western provinces are credited with being the abode of foolish people.Tales of simpleton behavior have often been collected into books, and early joke books include many simpleton jokes. In ancient Greece, Hierokles created such a collection. In England, the famous Joe Miller's Jests is highly inclusive of simpleton jokes. In Britain the Irish are often stereotyped as stupid and are the butt of An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman jokes. Books of simpleton tales exist in Persia, Ireland, Turkey, Iceland, Japan, Sicily, and India.Simpleton tales are huge in number, but many of them share the same notions of simple-minded behavior. Many are repeated, with altered names, settings, characters, etc., in language after language and collection after collection. A very old such tale from England is:There was a man of Gotham that rode to the market with two bushels of wheat, and because his horse should not be damaged by carrying too great a burden, he was determined to carry the corn himself upon his own neck, and still kept riding upon his horse till he arrived at the end of his journey. Now I will leave you to judge which was the wisest, his horse or himself. A famous one from ancient Greece is:A man's father having died, the son dutifully took the body to the embalmers. When he returned at the appointed time to take it, there happened to be a number of bodies in the same place, so he was asked if his father had any peculiarity by which his body might be recognised, and the simpleton replied, "He had a cough." The shortened form simp is also a derogatory term with a long history.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. simpleton

   A simpleton is a person who is somewhat foolish or lacking in common sense or intelligent understanding. They are often perceived as naïve, ignorant, or unsophisticated.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Simpletonnoun

   a person of weak intellect; a silly person

2. Etymology: [Cf. F. simplet, It. semplicione.]

Matched Categories

1. • Person

Anagrams for simpleton »

1. spoilment

How to pronounce simpleton?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say simpleton in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of simpleton in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of simpleton in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of simpleton in a Sentence

1. La Bruy?re:

   It is the character of a simpleton to be a bore. A man of sense sees at once whether he is welcome or tiresome; he knows to withdraw the moment that precedes that in which he would be in the least in the way.

2. W. Wirt:

   He is a great simpleton who imagines that the chief power of wealth is to supply wants. In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred it creates more wants than it supplies.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=simpleton
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Simpleton
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=simpleton
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simpleton
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/simpleton