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:
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
A sweet moron, but a moron nonetheless, which is evident as soon as Pattinson starts squeaking banalities in a nasal gasp that sounds as though he’s never gotten enough oxygen to his brain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2025
According to the indictment, the two medical doctors exchanged texts conspiring over how much they could charge Perry for vials of the drug, with one message reading: "I wonder how much this moron will pay."
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2024
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 a moron in a high place,” I say.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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
“We are all Morón now,” said independent journalist Yoani Sanchez, who posted a video of the protest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026
In the coastal town of Morón, dozens of people waded knee-deep in garbage at a large dump, looking for food and recyclables to sell.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 18, 2017
Its forces are based in Morón, Spain, and Sigonella, Italy, but are focused on Africa.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2015
But between the downtrodden beauty of the setting and the way director of photography Javier Morón lets his camera linger on the bodies, buildings and beach, there is much to savor in the silent spaces.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2014
“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
In a recent interview, Narvy said that when Haim saw the characters, he said: “These guys are morons … I want them in every show.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2023
The rest of us need the laugh, and we can truly see them for the morons they are.
From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2022
"When the morons over there decided their censure, I just shook my head and I said this guy has got to push back," she said.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2022
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
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