nincompoop
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- nincompoopery noun
- nincompoopish adjective
Etymology
Origin of nincompoop
First recorded in 1670–80; origin uncertain
Explanation
Calling someone a nincompoop is like calling them a fool, idiot, bonehead, or dope. It's definitely not a compliment. Nincompoop is a silly-sounding word that's also kind of old-fashioned, like ninny. No one has any solid idea where it came from, and anyone who claims otherwise is, well, a nincompoop. By definition, nincompoops are dumb, foolish, and can't do anything right. But there are far worse things you could call someone who's behaving like an idiot. Maybe this old-timey insult deserves a revival?
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.
Tom was of course not a nincompoop, but a serious, thoughtful person who hungered to add substance to sketch comedy.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2023
I guess I want someone to tell me that it’s possible that I’m a nincompoop here and that straight men can “sound gay.”
From Slate • Apr. 9, 2020
Higher courts, and history, ultimately vindicated John Sirica’s belief that he shouldn’t be “sitting on the bench like a nincompoop and watching the parade go by.”
From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2018
Pretty soon the goal is sinking each other, proving once and for all that the other person is a complete nincompoop.
From Salon • Jan. 6, 2017
Andrew wasn’t a nincompoop, as you will very soon see.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
