bigot
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- bigoted adjective
Etymology
Origin of bigot
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French, from Old French: a derogatory name applied by the French to the Normans, perhaps from Old English bī God “by God”
Compare meaning
How does bigot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A bigot is someone who doesn't tolerate people of different backgrounds or opinions. Someone who tells a racist joke might be labeled a bigot. A bigot can also be someone who refuses to accept other ideas, as in politics. This word was borrowed from Middle French, but the French word is of uncertain origin. In Old French bigot was a term of abuse for Normans, and possibly related to the oath bi got "by God." In English and French, a bigot was originally a hypocrite, a person who claims to have certain moral beliefs but whose behavior doesn't match those beliefs. A bigot was specifically a hypocritical professor of religion, but the connection with the current sense of bigot is not clear.
Vocabulary lists containing bigot
The Westing Game
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Black Like Me
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Little Rock Girl 1957
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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.
“To call Jeremy Carl a radical and a bigot and unqualified is all far too kind.”
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026
“I was called a bigot and a transphobe and such a danger to staff that I was refused unemployment,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
“When a news organization says you’re a racist, bigot, whatever, people believe them,” he said.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2024
“I do think she is a bigot, but first I would say that she is uneducated.”
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 11, 2023
He had enough problems with the empty restaurant, a lazy son, and his nagging ulcer; now he had to put up with this bigot.
From "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin
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.
