idiot

See also: Idiot and IDiot

English

Alternative forms

• idjit, idget (non-standard, indicating the pronunciation /ˈɪd͡ʒət/)
• eejit (Irish, Scottish; non-standard)

Etymology

From Middle English idiote, ydiote, from Old French idiote (later idiot), from Latin idiota, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private”). Doublet of idiota.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: ĭdĭət, IPA^(key): /ˈɪdiət/
• (yod coalescence, non-standard) IPA^(key): /ˈɪd͡ʒət/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iət
• Hyphenation: i‧di‧ot

Noun

idiot (plural idiots)

1. (derogatory) A person of low general intelligence.

   Only an idiot would fail this exam.

2. (derogatory) A person who makes stupid decisions; a fool.

   We think that people who cycle without a helmet are idiots.

3. (obsolete, medicine, psychology) A person of the lowest intellectual standing, a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old; a person with an IQ below 30.
   • 1896, Clifton Johnson, “Folks”, in What They Say in New England (non-fiction), Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Lee and Shepard Publishers, page 105:

     Idiots were thought to be peculiarly under the care of the Deity, and it was believed that those who treated them kindly would be blessed.

   • 1956, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Part I, section 7”, in Sexual Offences Act 1956‎^[1], page 2:

     It is an offence for a man to have unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman whom he knows to be an idiot or imbecile.

Usage notes

• While pejorative, the word is only a weak insult, and between close friends or family members it may be used affectionately.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:idiot

Antonyms

• genius

Derived terms

• covidiot
• dipshidiot
• Floridiot
• IDiot
• idiot board
• idiot box
• idiot card
• idioted
• idiot end
• idiotese
• idiotfest
• idiot girl
• idiotic
• idiotish
• idiotism
• idiotist
• idiotize
• idiot light
• idiotlike
• idiotly
• idiot mittens
• idiotor
• idiotorial
• idiot-proof
• idiotry
• idiot-savant
• idiot sheet
• idiot stick
• idiot string
• idiot tape
• idiot tax
• Idiotville
• kiddiot
• mediot
• neo-idiot
• pyramidiot
• radiot
• televidiot
• twidiot
• useful idiot
• vidiot
• village idiot

 

Related terms

• idiocy
• idiom
• idiosyncratic
• idiotic
• idiotically
• idiot savant
• useful idiot

 

Translations

person of low general intelligence

• Albanian: idiot (sq) m
• Arabic: أَحْمَق m (ʔaḥmaq), غَبِيّ m (ḡabiyy), مُغَفَّل m (muḡaffal)

  Hijazi Arabic: غَبي m (ḡabi), أهْبَل m (ʔahbal), ْأبْلَه m (ʔablah), سَبَك m (sabak)

• Armenian: ապուշ (hy) (apuš), հիմար (hy) (himar), էշ (hy) (ēš)
• Azerbaijani: idiot (az), axmaq (az)
• Basque: ergel
• Belarusian: ду́рань m (dúranʹ), ідыёт m (idyjót), ідыётка f (idyjótka)
• Bengali: মূর্খ (bn) (murkho), বেক্কল (bekkol)
• Bikol Central: dangag (bcl), patal (bcl)
• Bulgarian: идио́т (bg) m (idiót), абда́л (bg) m (abdál), идио́тка f (idiótka), ахма́к (bg) m (ahmák), глупа́к (bg) m (glupák), глупа́чка f (glupáčka)
• Burmese: ဗာလ (my) (bala.)
• Catalan: idiota (ca) m or f
• Chichewa: chitsiru
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 死蠢 (sei² ceon²), 白痴 (baak⁶ ci¹), 戇鳩 / 戆鸠 (ngong⁶ gau¹)

  Mandarin: 白痴 (zh) (báichī), 傻子 (zh) (shǎzi), 蠢貨 / 蠢货 (zh) (chǔnhuò), 傻瓜 (zh) (shǎguā), 笨蛋 (zh) (bèndàn), 蠢材 (zh) (chǔncái), 呆子 (zh) (dāizi)

• Czech: idiot (cs) m, idiotka f
• Danish: idiot (da) c, nar c, fjols n
• Dutch: idioot (nl) m
• Esperanto: idioto
• Estonian: idioot
• Finnish: idiootti (fi), hölmö (fi), pöljä (fi), törttö, typerys (fi), urpo (fi)
• French: idiot (fr) m, idiote (fr) f
• Galician: babeco (gl) m, parvo (gl) m, mascato m, babiolo (gl) m, doudo m, pallouco m, lores m, paspán (gl) m, alpabarda (gl) m, mouco (gl) m, marmeco m, láparo m, inteño m, miñoto m, bouto m, idiota m
• Georgian: იდიოტი (idioṭi)
• German: Idiot (de) m, Idiotin (de) f, Narr (de) m, Närrin (de) f
• Greek: βλάκας (el) m (vlákas), ηλίθιος (el) m (ilíthios)

  Ancient: βλάξ m (bláx)

• Gujarati: ડોબું n (ḍobũ), મૂર્ખ m (mūrkh), મૂઢ m (mūḍh)
• Hebrew: אִידְיוֹט (he) m (idyót), גולם \ גֹּלֶם (he) (gólem)
• Hindi: मूर्ख (hi) m (mūrkh), बुद्धू m (buddhū), उल्लू (hi) m (ullū), बेवक़ूफ़ m (bevqūf)
• Hungarian: idióta (hu), (colloquial) hülye (hu), (literary) félkegyelmű (hu)
• Icelandic: hálviti m, asni (is) m, grasasni (is) m, skynskiptingur m (obsolete)
• Indonesian: bodoh (id)
• Ingrian: durakka, vohma, hapalka, oolo, tuhkuri, tuhkapää, tuhkapussi, foofana, bolvana
• Irish: amadán, dúramán m
• Italian: idiota (it) m or f, squasimodeo m
• Japanese: 馬鹿 (ja) (ばか, baka), あほ (ja) (aho), 白痴 (ja) (はくち, hakuchi), 戯け者 (たわけもの, tawakemono, おどけもの, odokemono)
• Kazakh: ақымақ (aqymaq), идиот (idiot)
• Khmer: ល្ងីល្ងើ (km) (lngii lngəə)
• Korean: 백치(白癡)(白痴) (baekchi), 바보 (ko) (babo), 등신(等神) (ko) (deungsin), 멍청이 (ko) (meongcheong'i), 천치(天癡)(天痴) (ko) (cheonchi)
• Kyrgyz: акмак (ky) (akmak), идиот (ky) (idiot)
• Ladin: totl m, musciat
• Lao: ຄົນບັດຊົບ (khon bat sop), ຄົນໂງ່ (khon ngō), ໂງ່ (ngō)
• Latin: blennus m, idiota m, fungus m
• Latvian: idiots m, idiote f, muļķis (lv) m, muļķe f, duraks (lv) m
• Lithuanian: idiotas m
• Luhya: omsilu
• Macedonian: абдал m (abdal), идио́т m (idiót), идио́тка f (idiótka)
• Malay: bodoh (ms)
• Malayalam: കണ്ണാപ്പി (kaṇṇāppi), പൊട്ട​ൻ (poṭṭa​ṉ)
• Manx: thoot m
• Maori: hukehuke, heahea, rorirori, pōhauhau, hākawa
• Middle English: sot
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: эргүү тэнэг (ergüü teneg), зүүлэг (mn) (züüleg), тэнэг (mn) (teneg)

• Ngazidja Comorian: ɗaɓa class 5/6
• Norman: peûle m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: idiot (no) m, narr (no) m

  Nynorsk: idiot m

• Old English: unwita m
• Ottoman Turkish: طوی (toy)
• Persian: احمق (fa) (ahmaq), کودن (fa) (kowdan), خنگ (fa) (xeng), ابله (fa) (ablah), کانا (fa) (kânâ)
• Plautdietsch: Eefelt m, Dommajon m
• Polish: idiota (pl) m, idiotka (pl) f, głupek (pl) m, głupiec (pl) m, dureń (pl) m
• Portuguese: idiota (pt) m or f
• Punjabi: ਮੂਰਖ (mūrakh)
• Romanian: idiot (ro) m, idioată (ro) f, idioți pl, idioate f pl
• Russian: идио́т (ru) m (idiót), идио́тка (ru) f (idiótka), дура́к (ru) m (durák), ду́ра (ru) f (dúra), ду́рень (ru) m (dúrenʹ), глупе́ц (ru) m (glupéc)
• Sanskrit: मूढ (sa) m (mūḍha), निर्बुद्धि (sa) m (nirbuddhi), मूर्ख (sa) m (mūrkha), जल (sa) m (jala)
• Scots: stookie
• Scottish Gaelic: amadan m, òinseach f, burraidh m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: идѝот m, идѝоткиња f

  Roman: idìot (sh) m, idìotkinja (sh) f

• Slovak: idiot m, idiotka f
• Slovene: idiot m, tepec m
• Spanish: idiota (es) m or f
• Swahili: mjinga (sw), kichwamaji (sw)
• Swedish: idiot (sv) c, narr (sv) c
• Tagalog: bobo (tl), tanga, ungas
• Tajik: аблаҳ (tg) (ablah), аҳмақ (tg) (ahmaq)
• Tatar: ахмак (tt) (axmaq)
• Telugu: వెధవ (vedhava)
• Thai: คนโง่ (kon-ngôo), ไอ้งั่ง, คนโง่เง่า, คนบ้า, คนปัญญาอ่อน, โง่ (th) (ngôo), ควาย (th) (kwaai)
• Turkish: salak (tr), ahmak (tr), aptal (tr), geri zekâlı, bön (tr), avanak (tr), andaval (tr)
• Turkmen: akmak (tk)
• Ukrainian: ідіо́т m (idiót), ідіо́тка f (idiótka), ду́рень (uk) m (dúrenʹ), йо́лоп (uk) m (jólop)
• Urdu: مورکھ m (mūrkh), بیوقوف m (bēvaqūf), الو m (ullū), بدھو m (buddhū)
• Uyghur: ئەخمەق (exmeq)
• Uzbek: idiot, ahmoq (uz)
• Vietnamese: thằng ngốc, thằng ngu
• Volapük: (♂♀) diotan (vo), (♂) hidiotan, (♀) jidiotan
• Welsh: twpsyn m, ynfytyn (cy) m
• Yiddish: אידיאָט m (idyot)

person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old

• Bulgarian: идиот (bg) m (idiot)
• Dutch: idioot (nl) m
• Greek: ιδιώτης (el) m (idiótis), μικρόνους (el) m (mikrónous)
• Hindi: बालबुद्धि (hi) (bālbuddhi)
• Latvian: idiots m, idiote f
• Persian: کالیو (fa) (kâliv)

Adjective

idiot (comparative more idiot, superlative most idiot)

1. (uncommon) Idiotic, stupid.

Translations

idiotic — see idiotic

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈɪdɪjot]
• Hyphenation: idiot

Noun

idiot m anim (female equivalent idiotka)

1. (mildly vulgar) idiot (disliked or slow-witted person)

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hlupák

2. idiot (person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old)

Declension

Declension of idiot (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	idiot	idioti, idiotové
genitive	idiota	idiotů
dative	idiotovi, idiotu	idiotům
accusative	idiota	idioty
vocative	idiote	idioti, idiotové
locative	idiotovi, idiotu	idiotech
instrumental	idiotem	idioty

Related terms

• idiocie
• idiotský

 

Further reading

• “idiot”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “idiot”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “idiot”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

Danish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs).

Noun

idiot

1. (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool

Derived terms

• idiotsikker
• kraftidiot

References

• “idiot” in Den Danske Ordbog

French

Etymology

From Old French idiot (cf. also the older form idiote), borrowed from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “layman”) from ἴδιος (ídios, “private”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.djo/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophone: idiots
• Rhymes: -jo

Adjective

idiot (feminine idiote, masculine plural idiots, feminine plural idiotes)

1. idiotic; stupid

Noun

idiot m (plural idiots, feminine idiote)

1. idiot

Derived terms

• idiot du village

Descendants

• → Polish: idiota

Further reading

• “idiot”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs).

Noun

idiot m (definite singular idioten, indefinite plural idioter, definite plural idiotene)

1. (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool

Derived terms

• idiotsikker
• kraftidiot
• kronidiot

References

• “idiot” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪd(ː)ɪˈuːt/

Noun

idiot m (definite singular idioten, indefinite plural idiotar, definite plural idiotane)

1. (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool

Derived terms

• idiotsikker
• kraftidiot
• kronidiot

References

• “idiot” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old French

Alternative forms

• idiote

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “layman”) from ἴδιος (ídios, “private”).

Adjective

idiot m (oblique and nominative feminine singular idiote)

1. ignorant; narrow-minded

Usage notes

• The form idiote was sometimes used as both masculine and feminine, as a direct borrowing from Latin idiota.

Descendants

• → English: idiot
• French: idiot

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (idiot, supplement)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French idiot, itself borrowed from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “layman”) from ἴδιος (ídios, “private”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.diˈot/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

idiot m (plural idioți, feminine equivalent idioată)

1. idiot, moron, imbecile

   Synonyms: prost, tâmpit, imbecil, cretin

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	idiot	idiotul		idioți	idioții
genitive-dative	idiot	idiotului		idioți	idioților
vocative	idiotule			idioților

Adjective

idiot m or n (feminine singular idioată, masculine plural idioți, feminine and neuter plural idioate)

1. stupid, idiotic, foolish, absurd

   Synonyms: prost, tâmpit, stupid

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	idiot		idioată		idioți	idioate
	definite	idiotul		idioata		idioții	idioatele
genitive- dative	indefinite	idiot		idioate		idioți	idioate
	definite	idiotului		idioatei		idioților	idioatelor

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /idǐot/
• Hyphenation: i‧di‧ot

Noun

idìot m (Cyrillic spelling идѝот)

1. idiot

Declension

Declension of idiot

	singular	plural
nominative	idiot	idioti
genitive	idiota	idiota
dative	idiotu	idiotima
accusative	idiota	idiote
vocative	idiote	idioti
locative	idiotu	idiotima
instrumental	idiotom	idiotima

See also

• glùpan
• blèsan
• krètēn

Slovak

Etymology

Derived from Latin idiōta, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈiɟiɔt]

Noun

idiot m pers (female equivalent idiotka, related adjective idiotský)

1. (derogatory) idiot

Declension

Declension of idiot (pattern chlap)

	singular	plural
nominative	idiot	idioti
genitive	idiota	idiotov
dative	idiotovi	idiotom
accusative	idiota	idiotov
locative	idiotovi	idiotoch
instrumental	idiotom	idiotmi

Derived terms

• idiotický
• idioticky
• idiotstvo
• idiotizmus

See also

• blázon
• hlupák

Further reading

• “idiot”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Swedish

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪdɪˈuːt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

idiot c

1. (derogatory) an idiot

   Din idiot

   You idiot

   Vilka idioter

   What idiots

Declension

Declension of idiot

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	idiot	idiots
	definite	idioten	idiotens
plural	indefinite	idioter	idioters
	definite	idioterna	idioternas

Derived terms

• idiotanstalt
• idiotförklara
• idiothem
• idiotskola
• idiotsäker
• idiotundervisning
• idiotvård

Related terms

• idioti
• idiotisera
• idiotisk

References

• idiot in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• idiot in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• idiot in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)