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Synonyms

nincompoop

American  
[nin-kuhm-poop, ning-] / ˈnɪn kəmˌpup, ˈnɪŋ- /

noun

  1. a fool or simpleton.

nincompoop British  
/ ˈnɪŋ-, ˈnɪnkəmˌpuːp /

noun

  1. a stupid person; fool; idiot

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nincompoopery noun
  • nincompoopish adjective

Etymology

Origin of nincompoop

First recorded in 1670–80; origin uncertain

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.

Tom was of course not a nincompoop, but a serious, thoughtful person who hungered to add substance to sketch comedy.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2023

And was it enough to let us stop calling him a nincompoop?

From Slate • Dec. 11, 2019

Pretty soon the goal is sinking each other, proving once and for all that the other person is a complete nincompoop.

From Salon • Jan. 6, 2017

Freedom from nincompoop bosses giving me warnings for insubordination.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2016

We can claim that he was just a nincompoop or a madman.

From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin

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.