moron

¹

[mawr-on]

noun

1. Informal.,  a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.

   I wonder why they elected that narrow-minded moron to Congress.

2. 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

[maw-rohn, maw-rawn]

noun

1. a city in E Argentina, SW of Buenos Aires.

moron

/ mɒˈrɒnɪk, ˈmɔːrɒn /

noun

1. a foolish or stupid person

2. a person having an intelligence quotient of between 50 and 70, able to work under supervision

Other Word Forms

• moronism noun
• moronic adjective
• moronically adverb
• moronity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of moron¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1905–10; from Greek mōrón, neuter of mōrós “foolish, dull”

Word History and Origins

Origin of moron¹

C20: from Greek mōros foolish

Example Sentences

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

In text messages to Chavez, Plasencia discussed how much to charge Perry for the ketamine, stating, “I wonder how much this moron will pay” and “Lets find out,” according to the indictment.

From Los Angeles Times

He went at politics like a college freshman, assured that he was right, that he knew everything and that everyone except the rankest moron agreed with him.

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

That’s a natural question that evolves from the unending daily tirade of articles and headlines telling us that Trump is a tyrant, a liar, a moron and a horrible fool.

From Salon

Related Words

• boob 
• idiot 

When To Use

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.