moron
1 Americannoun
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Informal. a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.
I wonder why they elected that narrow-minded moron to Congress.
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Psychology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person of borderline intelligence in a former and discarded classification of intellectual disability, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69.
noun
noun
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a foolish or stupid person
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a person having an intelligence quotient of between 50 and 70, able to work under supervision
Usage
More context on moron Calling someone a moron is all in good fun, right? Not so much. While moron can sound like a simple schoolyard taunt, the term was originally used by psychologists to classify someone as having mild intellectual disabilities. What’s more, prominent psychologists, notably Henry H. Goddard, who used the label moron promoted eugenics.Moron is no longer in use as a medical term, and it’s offensive and ableist to equate someone you think is acting foolish to a person with a disability.If knowing the history of moron has got you reflecting on your word choices, this slideshow, "These Common Words Have Offensive Histories," discusses many other words whose place in your vocab you may want to reconsider.
Other Word Forms
- moronic adjective
- moronically adverb
- moronism noun
- moronity noun
Etymology
Origin of moron
An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; from Greek mōrón, neuter of mōrós “foolish, dull”
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.
Plasencia, who mused in text messages to Chavez "I wonder how much this moron will pay," was jailed this month for two-and-a-half years.
From Barron's
Vinny, always darker, said, “There were more morons than crooks, but the crooks were higher up.”
From Literature
“But I’m also like, ‘Oh my god, you were such a moron.’”
From Los Angeles Times
Emmy-winning actor John Leguizamo called Cain a “moron” and a “has/been,” criticizing his decision to support ICE given his Japanese American heritage.
From Salon
There’s a lot of anger out there, from people who disagree, think I’m a moron, or wonder why I haven’t followed up on their ideas.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
