imbecile

[ im-buh-sil, -suhlor, especially British, -seel ]

noun

1. Informal. a dunce; blockhead; dolt:

   Don't stand there like an imbecile. Open the door!

2. Psychology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person of the second order in a former and discarded classification of intellectual disability, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50.

adjective

1. Informal. stupid; silly; absurd.
2. Usually Offensive. showing mental feebleness or incapacity.
3. Archaic. weak or feeble.

imbecile

noun

1. psychol a person of very low intelligence (IQ of 25 to 50), usually capable only of guarding himself against danger and of performing simple mechanical tasks under supervision
2. informal.
   an extremely stupid person; dolt

adjective

1. of or like an imbecile; mentally deficient; feeble-minded
2. stupid or senseless

   an imbecile thing to do

Derived Forms

• ˈimbeˌcilely, adverb
• ˌimbeˈcility, noun

Other Words From

• im·be·cil·ic adjective
• im·be·cile·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of imbecile¹

First recorded in 1540–50; earlier imbecill, from Latin imbēcillus “weak”; -ile replacing -ill by confusion with suffix -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of imbecile¹

C16: from Latin imbēcillus feeble (physically or mentally)

Example Sentences

The account also retweeted another user who posted that you had to be an “imbecile” or a “brain dead leftie” to think wanting “to protect your homeland from rapists and terrorists is racist”.

From BBC

“For this imbecile ... don’t let him forget that I came to the United States as Canelo and he only profited with my name. He made money,” Álvarez responded to De La Hoya.

From Los Angeles Times

While personal attacks are not uncommon in Latin American politics, Mr Milei surprised many when he attacked Pope Francis last year, calling the pontiff "an imbecile who defends social justice".

From BBC

Internal records showed department staff had decided not to respond to some of their comments and called one police chief an “imbecile.”

From Los Angeles Times

Argentina’s president, who once called Pope Francis an “imbecile,” met with the pontiff for an hourlong conversation that the Vatican described as “cordial.”

From New York Times