putz
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of putz
1900–05; < Yiddish puts literally, ornament, finery, probably noun derivative of putsn to clean, shine; compare early modern German butzen to decorate ( German putzen to clean, brighten)
Compare meaning
How does putz compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A putz is a real dummy or a silly fool. Your grandfather might call the taxi driver a putz if he takes him to the wrong airport. You can use the informal putz when you need a good put-down for someone who's acted idiotically. Your cousin who starts a guinea pig circus, or your neighbor who constantly parks his car on your lawn might both be called putzes, although you might want to speak quietly if either one is familiar with Yiddish. In that language, a putz is not only a fool, but also a specific part of the male anatomy (and not the elbow).
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.
She is, however, left with nothing more to do than putz around the castle grounds with her husband and children as she mulls over a permanent move to Italy.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2025
“I called the rest of the yacht club and I said, ‘We need to be seen, we need to go back to the stadium and I’ll putz over.’
From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2020
“The last thing we need in the thick of so many challenges is some putz on LinkedIn wailing and whimpering, ‘Everyone’s gone!
From Fox News • Aug. 24, 2020
Apparently—and he’s incapable of lying and also a putz, so I believe him—he simply panicked and somehow thought I had called someone to help me.
From Slate • May 5, 2020
Still trying to be partially polite, they let me know I was being a putz, and still I persisted.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
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.
