Idiot

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈɪd.iː.É™t/
• Ireland IPA: /iːdʒɪt/

Alternative forms

• eejit Irish English, eye dialect
• idjit, idget eye dialect

Origin

From Middle English, from Old French idiote (later idiot), from Latin idiota, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiōtēs, "a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman"), from ἴδιος (idios, "one's own, pertaining to oneself, private"); ἰδιώτης was used derisively in ancient Athens to refer to one who declined to take part in public life.

Full definition of idiot

Noun

1. (pejorative) A common term for a person of low general intelligence.usage note This may be used pejoratively, as an insult. It is a weak insult, however, and between close friends, family members, or lovers, is often completely nonaggressive.
2. (obsolete) A medical or psychological term meaning a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old.

Synonyms

Antonyms

• genius

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