Morón
1 Americannoun
noun
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Informal. a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.
I wonder why they elected that narrow-minded moron to Congress.
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Psychology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person of borderline intelligence in a former and discarded classification of intellectual disability, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69.
noun
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a foolish or stupid person
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a person having an intelligence quotient of between 50 and 70, able to work under supervision
Usage
More context on moron Calling someone a moron is all in good fun, right? Not so much. While moron can sound like a simple schoolyard taunt, the term was originally used by psychologists to classify someone as having mild intellectual disabilities. What’s more, prominent psychologists, notably Henry H. Goddard, who used the label moron promoted eugenics.Moron is no longer in use as a medical term, and it’s offensive and ableist to equate someone you think is acting foolish to a person with a disability.If knowing the history of moron has got you reflecting on your word choices, this slideshow, "These Common Words Have Offensive Histories," discusses many other words whose place in your vocab you may want to reconsider.
Other Word Forms
- moronic adjective
- moronically adverb
- moronism noun
- moronity noun
Etymology
Origin of moron
An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; from Greek mōrón, neuter of mōrós “foolish, dull”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This created what economists call “discipline” and normal people call “not being morons.”
From MarketWatch
Many of those viewers were happy to tell him he was a moron.
From Los Angeles Times
One particularly vocal critic, Alton Road Homeowners & Residents Association President Adam Kravitz, an attorney, labels North Bay homeowners as “rich morons” who create their own problems by leaving car keys inside luxury vehicles.
“To speak like a moron and be that educated,” she says, shaking her head.
From Los Angeles Times
“But I’m also like, ‘Oh my god, you were such a moron.’”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
