ignoramus
Americannoun
-
ignoramuses
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of ignoramus
1570–80; < Latin ignōrāmus we ignore (1st person plural present indicative of ignōrāre to be ignorant of, ignore ); hence name of an ignorant lawyer in the play Ignoramus (1615) by the English playwright G. Ruggle, whence current sense
Explanation
If you've ever been afraid to speak up in class, you might be worried that you'll look like an ignoramus, or an uneducated, ignorant person. Calling someone an ignoramus is an insult — it's a colorful way to comment on a person's ignorance or stupidity. The word comes right from the Latin ignoramus, literally "we do not know," which was a legal term in the 16th century that could be used during a trial when the prosecution presented insufficient evidence. After George Ruggle's 1615 play "Ignoramus", it came into popular use to mean "fool" or "dunce."
Vocabulary lists containing ignoramus
Death of a Salesman
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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.
See Examples For:
On June 15 he received a tongue bath on Spotify from that outstanding ignoramus Joe Rogan, who allowed him to spout his anti-science spiel for three hours with virtually no pushback.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2023
Herbert is the opposite of the man his daughter married, who may be a genius in the usual ways but shows himself to be an ignoramus when it comes to basic human interaction.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2021
The term ignoramus was written on bills of indictment when the evidence presented seemed insufficient to justify prosecution.
From Fox News ● Mar. 30, 2020
Bird ignoramus that I am, I’m paired with an eagle-eyed National Park employee who, for the length of our six-hour hike, abides my frantic cries of “There’s a bird!” and, sometimes, just “Bird?”
From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2018
A few nights ago I was the topic of discussion, and we all decided I was an ignoramus.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Boz never treated us readers as uninformed ignoramuses.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 1, 2021
That makes "America: The Motion Picture" not only a waste of time but an insult to ignoramuses.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2021
Maudlin also vigorously defends philosophy against ignoramuses who ask, Why do we need philosophy?
From Scientific American ● Nov. 4, 2018
This doesn’t make people who buy lunch reckless ignoramuses; it makes them human beings.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2015
“Why? They wouldn’t any more be ignoramuses than an elephant is. Or a bird is. Or a tree is,” Teddy said.
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
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.
