dingbat

American  

[ding-bat] / ˈdɪŋˌbæt /

noun

1. Slang. an eccentric, silly, or empty-headed person.

2. dingus.

3. Printing. an ornamental piece of type for borders, separators, decorations, etc.

4. an object, as a brick, serving as a missile.

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dingbat British  

/ ˈdɪŋˌbæt /

noun

1. any unnamed object, esp one used as a missile

2. a crazy or stupid person

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Etymology

Origin of dingbat

First recorded in 1830–40; origin uncertain

Explanation

A dingbat is an idiot: a person who's dumb, silly, or just empty-headed. There are a lot of insulting words for someone who isn't very smart: moron, dummy, knucklehead, bonehead, etc. Another is dingbat. A dingbat isn't simply dumb, but also ditzy. On the sitcom “All in the Family,” Archie Bunker often called his wife Edith a dingbat. This is an insult, but it's humorous and not that offensive. Dingbats are also characters or ornaments used in typesetting that don't have any meaning. Those dingbats are also a little silly.

Example Sentences

The property, made up of multiple lots, currently houses 10 bungalows, five dingbat apartments, a single-family home and 6-foot-tall weeds growing next to the burned-out structures.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Everything about the show is more confident – the physical comedy is goofier, Devi's dingbat logic is more outlandish, and McEnroe's narration easily flows with the action.

From Salon • Jul. 15, 2021

She achieved a reluctant fame from the air disaster, thanks to a cheesy Italian biopic in 1974, “Miracles Still Happen,” in which the teenage Dr. Diller is portrayed as a hysterical dingbat.

From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2021

I mean this more in terms of “if you call them a dingbat, they won’t remember” and not “why bother making sure they feel firmly attached to their caregivers.”

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2019

I know, grandpa—but she's such a funny little dingbat!

From Missy by Gatlin, Dana