Meaning & use
idiot
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableinformaloffensive
A word used to call someone foolish or lacking judgment, often said in anger or irritation.
Grammar: Countable and insulting when aimed at a person; avoid in polite or professional contexts.
Patterns
- call someone an idiot
- feel like an idiot
He felt like an idiot after locking his keys in the car.
I was an idiot to trust that website.
Only an idiot would ignore the warning.
nouncountableinformalhumorous
A person who has done something very foolish, said in a joking or self-critical way.
Grammar: Among friends it can be affectionate; the tone decides.
Patterns
- you idiot
- what an idiot
You idiot, you left the oven on again!
What an idiot I am; I forgot the tickets.
Don't be an idiot and carry that heavy box alone.
nouncountableoffensiveold-fashioned
An old medical and legal term for a person with a severe intellectual disability, now offensive and not used.
Grammar: Outdated and offensive in this sense; avoid completely.
Older medical texts used the word idiot, but it is now considered offensive.
The term idiot is no longer used in science or law.
Writers avoid idiot in this older sense today.
Word forms
| plural | idiots |
|---|
Common combinations
- complete idiot
- I felt like a complete idiot at the meeting.
- feel like an idiot
- I felt like an idiot when I saw my mistake.
- call someone an idiot
- It is rude to call someone an idiot.
- village idiot
- The phrase village idiot is offensive and best avoided.
- idiot proof
- The instructions are idiot proof.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fool
- Fool is a bit milder and more old-fashioned than idiot.
- dummy
- Dummy is informal and playful, and is lighter than idiot.
- moron
- Moron is harsher and was once a clinical term, so it is more offensive.
- nitwit
- Nitwit is humorous and gentle, and softer than idiot.
Opposites
Word family
- idiotic adjective
- extremely foolish
- idiotically adverb
- in a very foolish way
- idiocy noun
- extreme foolishness
- idiot-proof adjective
- so simple that anyone can use it
Commonly confused: idiot or idiom?
idiot vs idiom
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning is not literal, like kick the bucket. It is not an insult.
Practice
Which choice is the most polite way to comment on a colleague's error?
Choose one answer.
Idiot is insulting, so it is not suitable at work. Describing the mistake as a slip is polite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “idiot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.