cretin

[ kreet-n or, especially British, kret-n ]

See synonyms for: cretin cretinous on Thesaurus.com

noun

(no longer in technical use) a person with cretinism.
Informal. a very stupid or contemptible person.

Origin of cretin

First recorded in 1770–80; from French crétin, originally from French Alpine dialect creitin, crestin “deformed and mentally defective dwarf” (owing to iodine deficiency in Alpine regions); further origin uncertain; perhaps from Vulgar Latin Christiānus “a Christian, human being, unfortunate person,” from Latin Christiānus Christian

Other words from cretin

cre·ti·noid, adjective
cre·tin·ous, adjective
sem·i·cre·tin, noun

Words Nearby cretin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cretin in a sentence

Another author mentions a cretin who could tell exactly the birthdays and death-days of the inhabitants of his town for a decade.
Criminal Psychology | Hans Gross
The poetical whim of cretin, a French poet, brought into fashion punning or equivocal rhymes.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 (of 3) | Isaac D'Israeli
The cretin, whose eyes caught a glimpse of the cake, laughed, and began to try to reach out her hand to take it.
Rollo in Geneva | Jacob Abbott
The cretin was the one variety of the human species with which the commandant had not yet come in contact.
The Country Doctor | Honore de Balzac
Benassis himself, after a close scrutiny of the dull eyes and corpse-like face, gently took the cretin's hand and felt his pulse.
The Country Doctor | Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for cretin

cretin

/ (ˈkrɛtɪn) /

noun

old-fashioned a person afflicted with cretinism
offensive a person considered to be extremely stupid

Origin of cretin

C18: from French crétin, from Swiss French crestin, from Latin Chrīstiānus Christian, alluding to the humanity of such people, despite their handicaps

Derived forms of cretin

cretinoid, adjective
cretinous, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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