Search for: stupid
741 Etymology dictionary, p. dull (adj.).2
… . 1200, "stupid, slow of understanding, not quick in perception;" also, of points or edges, "blunt, not sharp;" apparently from Old English dol "dull-witted, foolish," or …
742 Etymology dictionary, p. dullard (n.).2
"stupid person, dunce, simpleton," mid-15c. (but early 13c. as a surname), from dull (adj.) + -ard .
743 Etymology dictionary, p. dumb (adj.).3
… and "stupid," and in Modern German this latter became the only sense (the sense of "mute, speechless" being expressed by stumm ). Meaning "foolish, ignorant" was occasional …
744 Etymology dictionary, p. dumb (adj.).4
Applied to silent contrivances, hence dumb-waiter. Dumb ox "stupid man" is by 1756; dumb-bunny "stupid person" is college slang from 1922; dumb blonde "woman seen as incapable of comprehending anything complicated" is by 1936.
745 Etymology dictionary, p. dumbness (n.).2
"inability to speak," Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; see dumb (adj.) + -ness. As "stupidity," by 1858.
746 Etymology dictionary, p. dumb-ass (n.).2
also dumbass, "stupid, ineffectual person," by 1959, from dumb (adj.) "stupid" + ass (n.2).
747 Etymology dictionary, p. dumb-bell (n.).3
Figurative sense of "blockhead, stupid person" attested by 1918, American English college slang.
748 Etymology dictionary, p. dumbo.2
"stupid person," by 1951, American English, from dumb (adj.). The Disney musical cartoon is from 1941; in it the elephant's name is a mocking nickname based on Jumbo .
749 Etymology dictionary, p. dummkopf (n.).2
"stupid person," 1809 ( dom cop, in Washington Irving), from German dummkopf, literally "dumb head;" see dumb (adj.) + cup (n.).
750 Etymology dictionary, p. dupe (n.).2
… reputedly stupid bird. For names of supposedly stupid birds applied to stupid persons, compare booby, goose (n.), gull (n.2) .
751 Etymology dictionary, p. fad (n.).2
… fatuus "stupid." From 1881 as "fashion, craze," or as Century Dictionary has it, "trivial fancy adopted and pursued for a time with irrational zeal."
752 Etymology dictionary, p. fat (adj.).6
Spanish gordo "fat, thick," is from Latin gurdus "stupid, doltish; heavy, clumsy," which also is the source of French gourd "stiff, benumbed" (12c.), engourdir "to dull, stupefy, benumb" (13c.).
753 Etymology dictionary, p. fatuous (adj.).2
"foolish, stupid," 1530s, from Latin fatuus "foolish, insipid, silly;" which is of uncertain origin. Buck suggests originally "stricken" in the head. But de Vaan says …
754 Etymology dictionary, p. folly (n.).2
… , madness, stupidity" (12c.), from fol (see fool (n.)). From c. 1300 as "an example of foolishness;" sense of "costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder …
755 Etymology dictionary, p. fond (adj.).2
… fool, stupid person" (early 14c.), which is of uncertain origin but perhaps from Scandinavian. Related: Fonder; fondest .
756 Etymology dictionary, p. fool (n.1).2
… ., "silly, stupid, or ignorant person," from Old French fol "madman, insane person; idiot; rogue; jester," also "blacksmith's bellows," also an adjective meaning "mad, insane …
757 Etymology dictionary, p. foot (n.).8
… something stupid" is attested by 1942; the expression put (one's) foot in something "make a mess of it" is from 1823. To have one foot in the grave "be near death" is …
758 Etymology dictionary, p. giddy (adj.).2
… , mad, stupid," perhaps literally "possessed (by a spirit)," if it is from Proto-Germanic *gud-iga- "possessed by a god," from *gudam "god" (see god (n.)) + *-ig "possessed." Meaning "having …
759 Etymology dictionary, p. gony (n.).2
1580s, "simpleton, stupid person," of unknown origin. Applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (1839). Related: Gony-bird .
760 Etymology dictionary, p. goof (n.).2
1916, "stupid person," American English, perhaps a variant of English dialect goff "foolish clown" (1869), from 16c. goffe, probably from French goffe "awkward, stupid …