nincompoop
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Rocksteady skill powers Nincompoop, a wonderfully named song by a pre-Israelites Desmond Dekker.
From The Guardian • Aug. 11, 2011
"No, Mr Nincompoop," answered Briggs angrily, "I put them on a stall."
From Cecilia; Or, Memoirs of an Heiress — Volume 2 by Burney, Fanny
During this lively interlude Justice Nincompoop arrived on the scene, and to him they appealed to judge their claims.
From The Original Fables of La Fontaine Rendered into English Prose by Fredk. Colin Tilney by Tilney, Frederick Colin
A Reporter should be independent enough to meet the approaches of gentlemen of the Nincompoop persuasion with a flat rebuff.
From The Complete Works of Artemus Ward — Part 1: Essays, Sketches, and Letters by Ward, Artemus
You will see that Justice Nincompoop draws all the money and leaves only the empty purse and the shells to the litigants.
From The Original Fables of La Fontaine Rendered into English Prose by Fredk. Colin Tilney by Tilney, Frederick Colin
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.
