A person of subnormal intelligence.

synonyms: changeling, cretin, half-wit, idiot, moron, retard.

Roget 501: fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling^†, dizzard^†, donkey, ass; ninny, ninnyhammer^†; chowderhead^†, chucklehead^†; dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby^†, hoddy-doddy^†, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy^†, owl; goose, goosecap^†; imbecile; gaby^†; radoteur^†, nincompoop, badaud^†, zany; trifler, babbler; pretty fellow; natural, niais^†.    child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop.    oaf, lout, loon, lown^†, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps^†, tony.    bull head, dunderhead, addlehead^†, blockhead, dullhead^†, loggerhead, jolthead^†, jolterhead^†, beetlehead^†, beetlebrain, grosshead^†, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead^†; numbskull, thickskull^†; lackbrain^†, shallowbrain^†; dimwit, halfwit, lackwit^†; dunderpate^†; lunkhead sawney [U.S.], gowk^†; clod, clod-hopper; clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate; bull calf; gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube [U.S.]; men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham.    un sot a triple etage [Fr.], sot; jobbernowl^†, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche^†.    dotard, driveler; old fogey, old woman, crock; crone, grandmother; cotquean^†, henhussy^†.    incompetent (insanity) 503.    greenhorn etc. (dupe) 547; dunce etc. (ignoramus) 493; lubber etc. (bungler) 701; madman etc. 504.    one who will not set the Thames on fire; one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre [Fr.]; no conjuror.    ... show more

Roget 493: ignoramus, dunce; wooden spoon; no scholar.    [insulting terms for ignorant person:] (imbecility) 499 (folly) 501 moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole [Vulg.].    [person with superficial knowledge] dilettante, sciolist^†, smatterer, dabbler, half scholar; charlatan; wiseacre.    greenhorn, amateur etc. (dupe) 547; novice, tyro etc. (learner) 541; numskull.    lubber etc. (bungler) 701; fool etc. 501; pedant etc. 492.    ... show more

Roget 450a: absence of intellect, want of intellect etc. 450; imbecility etc. 499.    brutality, brute force.    instinct, brute instinct, stimulus-response loop, conditioned response, instinctive reaction, Pavlovian response.    mimicry, aping (imitation) 19.    moron, imbecile, idiot; fool etc. 501; dumb animal; vegetable, brain dead.    ... show more

Dutch: kretijn, mogool, mongool, cretin, debiel, geesteszieke, gek, gestoorde, idioot, imbeciel, krankzinnige, waanzinnige ... show more

Having a mental age of three to seven years.

synonyms: idiotic, imbecilic.

Roget 499: unintelligent [Applied to persons], unintellectual, unreasoning; mindless, witless, reasoningless^†, brainless; halfbaked; having no head etc. 498; not bright etc. 498; inapprehensible^†.    weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed^†, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded^†; beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed.    weak-minded, feeble-minded; dull minded, shallow minded, lack-brained; rattle-brained, rattle headed; half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated^†, clod-pated^†, addle-pated^†, addle-brained^†; dim-sighted, short-sighted; thick-skulled; weak in the upper story.    shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony; dull, dull as a beetle; stupid, heavy, insulse^†, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish; asinine; inapt etc. 699; prosaic etc. 843; hebetudinous^†.    childish, child-like; infantine^†, infantile, babyish, babish^†; puerile, anile; simple etc. (credulous) 486; old-womanish.    fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling; blatant, babbling; vacant; sottish; bewildered etc. 475.    blockish^†, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic; bovine; ungifted, undiscerning^†, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical^†; apish; simious^†.    foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept; maudlin.    narrow-minded etc. 481; bigoted etc. (obstinate) 606; giddy etc. (thoughtless) 458; rash etc. 863; eccentric etc. (crazed) 503.    [Applied to actions] foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine; ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised; mal entendu [Fr.]; inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical^†; extravagant etc. (nonsensical) 497; sleeveless, idle; pointless, useless etc. 645; inexpedient etc. 647; frivolous etc. (trivial) 643.    ... show more

Roget 158: powerless, impotent, unable, incapable, incompetent; inefficient, ineffective; inept; unfit, unfitted; unqualified, disqualified; unendowed; inapt, unapt; crippled, disabled etc. v.; armless^†.    harmless, unarmed, weaponless, defenseless, sine ictu [Lat.], unfortified, indefensible, vincible, pregnable, untenable.    paralytic, paralyzed; palsied, imbecile; nerveless, sinewless^†, marrowless^†, pithless^†, lustless^†; emasculate, disjointed; out of joint, out of gear; unnerved, unhinged; water-logged, on one's beam ends, rudderless; laid on one's back; done up, dead beat, exhausted, shattered, demoralized; graveled etc. (in difficulty) 704; helpless, unfriended^†, fatherless; without a leg to stand on, hors de combat [Fr.], laid on the shelf.    null and void, nugatory, inoperative, good for nothing; ineffectual etc. (failing) 732; inadequate etc. 640; inefficacious etc. (useless) 645.    ... show more