What does idiot mean?

Definitions for idiot
ˈɪd i ətid·iot

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word idiot.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. idiot, imbecile, cretin, moron, changeling, half-wit, retardnoun

    a person of subnormal intelligence

GCIDE

  1. Idiotnoun

    A human being destitute of the ordinary intellectual powers, whether congenital, developmental, or accidental; commonly, a person without understanding from birth; a natural fool. In a former classification of mentally retarded people, idiot designated a person whose adult level of intelligence was equivalent to that of a three-year old or younger; this corresponded with an I.Q. level of approximately 25 or less.

Wiktionary

  1. idiotnoun

    A common term for a person of low general intelligence.

    usage note This may be used pejoratively, as an insult. It is a weak insult, however, and between close friends, family members, or lovers, is often completely nonaggressive.

  2. idiotnoun

    A medical or psychological term meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. IDIOTnoun

    A fool; a natural; a changeling; one without the powers of reason.

    Etymology: idiote, Fr. idiota, Latin; ἰδιώτης.

    Life is a tale,
    Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
    Signifying nothing. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

    What else doth he herein, than by a kind of circumlocution tell his humble suppliants that he holds them idiots, or base wretches, not able to get relief? Walter Raleigh, Essays.

    By idle boys and idiots vilify'd,
    Who me and my calamities deride. George Sandys.

    Many idiots will believe that they see what they only hear. John Dennis.

ChatGPT

  1. idiot

    An idiot is a term used to describe someone who acts in a way that lacks intelligence, common sense or rationality. It is often used as an insult, implying that the person is foolish, uninformed and engaging in senseless behavior. The term also refers to a layman or unskilled individual in a particular field or specialty. Notably, this term should be used with caution, as it can be offensive and demeaning.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Idiotnoun

    a man in private station, as distinguished from one holding a public office

  2. Idiotnoun

    an unlearned, ignorant, or simple person, as distinguished from the educated; an ignoramus

  3. Idiotnoun

    a human being destitute of the ordinary intellectual powers, whether congenital, developmental, or accidental; commonly, a person without understanding from birth; a natural fool; a natural; an innocent

  4. Idiotnoun

    a fool; a simpleton; -- a term of reproach

  5. Etymology: [F. idiot, L. idiota an uneducated, ignorant, ill-informed person, Gr. 'idiw`ths, also and orig., a private person, not holding public office, fr. 'i`dios proper, peculiar. See Idiom.]

Wikidata

  1. Idiot

    An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. Archaically the word mome has also been used. The similar terms moron, imbecile, and cretin have all gained specialized meanings in modern times. An idiot is said to be idiotic, and to suffer from idiocy. A dunce is an idiot who is specifically incapable of learning. An idiot differs from a fool and an ignoramus, neither of which refers to someone with low intelligence.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Idiot

    id′i-ut, n. one deficient in intellect: a foolish or unwise person.—adj. afflicted with idiocy: idiotic.—v.t. to make idiotic—ns. Id′iocy, Id′iotcy, state of being an idiot: imbecility: folly.—adjs. Idiot′ic, -al, pertaining to or like an idiot: foolish.—adv. Idiot′ically.—adj. Idiot′ish, idiotic.—n. Id′iotism, the state of being an idiot. [Fr.,—L. idiotaidiōtēs, orig. a 'private man,' then a rude person—idios, one's own.]

The New Hacker's Dictionary

  1. idiot

    Synonym for PEBKAC, e.g. “The user is being an idiot”. Tech-support people passing a problem report to someone higher up the food chain (and presumably better equipped to deal with idiots) may ask the user to convey that there seems to be an I-D-ten-T error. Users never twig.

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz

  1. IDIOT

    From Eng. _idea_, and _out_. One who is just out of ideas.

Suggested Resources

  1. idiot

    Song lyrics by idiot -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by idiot on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce idiot?

How to say idiot in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of idiot in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of idiot in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of idiot in a Sentence

  1. Fabrice:

    To be thought to be a moron to the eyes of an idiot is a gourmet's sensual delight!

  2. Justin Sun:

    YOU IDIOT

  3. South Carolina Graham:

    He is shallow, he is ill-prepared to be commander-in-chief, he doesn't know what he is talking about in terms of how our laws work, he says the worst things possible about immigrants and women, and he's a complete idiot when it comes to Mideast policy, so I think over time, common sense will prevail.

  4. Larry Elder:

    I’m not somebody who pulls out the race card the way Barack Obama does, the way Al Sharpton does, the way CNN does, the way Black Lives Matter does, maybe it was just an idiot. Maybe it was just a fool. Maybe it was just someone who doesn’t like Larry Elder.

  5. Charles De Gaulle:

    What do you take me for, an idiot

Popularity rank by frequency of use

idiot#10000#10551#100000

Translations for idiot

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for idiot »

Translation

Find a translation for the idiot definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"idiot." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/idiot>.

Discuss these idiot definitions with the community:

1 Comment
  • Dan Dayton
    Dan Dayton
    Idiot : isnt a bad word it just means your different or An outsider. / Someone who doesnt want to be appart of / or partake in with sociaties / doesnt go with popular trends or close styles. /A simple and private man./ A non slave / doesnt identify himself as piece of property-(slave)- one who is not owned by the state / like 90% of non Idiot Americans or i should slaves who claim to be U.S citizens . are in fact considerd property just the same as slaves were called when slavery was legal 
    LikeReply5 years ago

Are we missing a good definition for idiot? Don't keep it to yourself...

Image or illustration of

idiot

Credit »

Free, no signup required:

Add to Chrome

Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

Free, no signup required:

Add to Firefox

Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

Quiz

Are you a words master?

»
prevent from being seen or discovered
A signify
B conceal
C doom
D inspire

Nearby & related entries:

Alternative searches for idiot: