simpleton

[sim-puhl-tuhn]

noun

Sometimes Offensive.

1. an ignorant, foolish, or silly person.

   Synonyms: dope, ninny, blockhead, numbskull, fool, dolt

simpleton

/ ˈsɪmpəltən /

noun

1. a foolish or ignorant person

Word History and Origins

Origin of simpleton¹

First recorded in 1640–50; simple + -ton

Example Sentences

He calls the president a “simpleton” — one assumes Armstrong is reflecting on the current one — but for all their power, money and influence, they all lack wisdom.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He was a soldier simpleton who appeared in comic drawings about life in the army in the 1890s.

Read more on BBC

DeSantis is a smart guy trying to run as a simpleton.

Read more on Seattle Times

But it's also the type of suggestion a grasping simpleton would make, someone who knows the letter of the law but doesn't respect what it's there to protect or prevent.

Read more on Salon

Characters with disabilities are often cast as villains, superpowered by disability, victims, the butt of a joke or simpletons rather than fully realized humans.

Read more on Salon