moron
noun
a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.
moron
1 American
[mawr-on]
/ ˈmɔr ɒn /
noun
-
morons
plural
-
Informal. a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.
I wonder why they elected that narrow-minded moron to Congress.
-
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.
Morón
2
American
[maw-rohn, maw-rawn]
/ mɔˈroʊn, mɔˈrɔn /
noun
moron
British
/ ˈmɔːrɒn /
noun
-
a foolish or stupid person
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of moron
An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; from Greek mōrón, neuter of mōrós “foolish, dull”
Explanation
When your little brother does something that is both stupid and infuriating, you'll have to bite your tongue to keep from calling him a moron. A moron is an unkind way to describe someone who is foolish and unintelligent. The word moron was an official term in the early 1900s, used to describe a person of low intelligence — specifically, an "adult with a mental age between eight and twelve." It became a popular insult in the 1920s, and gradually stopped being used as a medical term, until moron was only an informal way to put someone down.
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.
See Examples For:
"Numbskull", "moron", "a real dummy" are just some of the criticisms Trump levelled at Powell when talking to the media.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
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 ● Dec. 16, 2025
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 ● May 3, 2025
According to a court-filed document, text messages from Plasencia to Chavez read, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Let’s find out.”
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2024
“I’ve been searching for this place for years, and all this time it was within walking distance of my school! I feel like a total moron for not figuring it out on my own.”
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Earlier in March, Sánchez said Spain had denied the US use of the two jointly run military bases at Rota and Morón, both in Andalusia.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026
Until now, protests have been peaceful, but it remains to be seen whether the incident in Morón will be an inflection point.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
“He’d told me Morón is known for a big rooster statue, and there it was!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2022
An emergency brigade traveled from the military base of Morón, in southern Spain, to join more than 300 firefighters and 41 water-dropping aircraft battling the flames.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 12, 2021
Its forces are based in Morón, Spain, and Sigonella, Italy, but are focused on Africa.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2015
For “King of the Hill,” he built an entire town out of workaholic marks and conspiratorial morons, and never once sneered at them across 13 seasons.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
“You can either have traders with a conflict of interest, or morons with no conflict of interest,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
The leader of Dundee City Council said he was "incredibly angry" about the latest incidents and branded those involved "morons".
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2023
That doesn’t mean that the novel is devoid of conflict, or that the book’s foursome are love-silly morons without a care in the world.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 16, 2023
He was convinced that if anyone tried to assassinate him, these two stocky morons would be powerless to prevent it, but he trusted that their presence would at least scare off spontaneous detraaors.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
