palooka
Americannoun
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an athlete, especially a boxer, lacking in ability, experience, or competitive spirit.
-
a stupid, clumsy person.
noun
Etymology
Origin of palooka
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; 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.
Unfazed, Bugs Bunny says, “Watch me paste this pathetic palooka with a powerful paralyzing perfect pachydermous percussion pitch.”
From Washington Post
He had just returned from the Venice Film Festival, where “The Bleeder,” a biopic based on the life of the palooka Chuck Wepner, had screened out of competition.
From New York Times
My dad never got it, how a class act like Mildred could fall for a palooka like him.
From Salon
Razor, is a sincere palooka who has made big mistakes in life but remains pure of heart.
From New York Times
At the end of the road lie a notorious Russian gangster and his robotic minion, a big, blond palooka seemingly impervious to pain -- but as readers of Larsson's novels know, I'd better stop there.
From Salon
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.
