schmuck
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of schmuck
First recorded in 1890–95, schmuck is from the Yiddish word shmok (vulgar) literally, “penis” (of uncertain origin)
Compare meaning
How does schmuck compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Was Kiritsis a narcissistic madman or a schmuck who’d put too much trust in the American ideals of hard work and fair treatment?
From Los Angeles Times
It’s the reminder some poor schmuck had Abilene Christian, and so we owe it to that man to properly document what happened and try our best to laugh in a way that’s comforting.
From Los Angeles Times
“And I’ve always loved that the ultimate arbiter of any performance has been the audience and not some schmuck producer or executive producer.”
From Los Angeles Times
"They called me the schmuck from Hanover," he laughs.
From BBC
And on the sublime Mariners Apartment Complex, she even addresses the people - critics, boyfriends, record-industry bigwigs - who "mistook my kindness for weakness", the not-exactly-hidden subtext being: "That won't happen again, schmucks."
From BBC
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.
