Search for: stupid
761 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 .
762 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 …
763 Etymology dictionary, p. gormless (adj.).2
c. 1746, also in early use gaumless, gawmless, "wanting sense, stupid," a British dialectal word, from gome "notice, understanding" (c. 1200), from Old Norse gaumr "care, heed" (of unknown origin); + -less .
764 Etymology dictionary, p. gross (adj.).3
… ( gross stupidity, etc.).
765 Etymology dictionary, p. half-hearted (adj.).2
also halfhearted, "showing little enthusiasm," early 15c.; see half + -hearted. Related: halfheartedly; halfheartedness. English in 17c. had also half-headed "stupid."
766 Etymology dictionary, p. hard-headed (adj.).2
also hardheaded, 1580s, "stubborn," from hardhead "dull person" (1510s), from hard (adj.) + -headed. Meaning "practical, shrewd" is attested from 1779. Compare Dutch hardhoofdig "stupid."
767 Etymology dictionary, p. hebetude (n.).2
1620s, from Latin hebetudo, noun of quality from hebes "blunt, dull," figuratively "sluggish; stupid," a word of unknown origin. Related: Hebetudinous .
768 Etymology dictionary, p. jackass (n.).2
"male ass," 1727, from jack (n.) + ass (n.1). Contemptuous meaning "stupid person" is attested by 1784 (Ignatius Sancho). Related: Jackassism (1837, American English); jackassery (1833).
769 Etymology dictionary, p. jellybean (n.).2
"small bean-shaped sugar candy with a firm shell and a thick gel interior," 1905, from jelly (n.) + bean (n.). So called for its shape. Soon used in U.S. slang for "stupid person," probably encouraged by the slang sense of bean as "head."
770 Etymology dictionary, p. jobbard (n.).2
"fool, stupid man," mid-15c., jobard, probably from French jobard (but this is not attested before 16c.), from jobe "silly." Earlier jobet (c. 1300).
771 Etymology dictionary, p. jolt (v.).2
… big, stupid head" (1530s). Intransitive sense from 1703. Figurative sense of "to startle, surprise" is from 1872. Related: Jolted; jolting .
772 Etymology dictionary, p. jolt-head (n.).2
"a stupid head," 1530s; later also "a big, clumsy, stupid person." The origin and signification of jolt here is unknown.
773 Etymology dictionary, p. jughead (n.).2
"klutz, stupid person," 1926, from jug (n.) + head (n.).
774 Etymology dictionary, p. Karen (2).3
… or stupidity, and exploded in popularity 2018, with more emphasis on the racism and privilege. Its use as rhetorical shorthand probably was encouraged, if …
775 Etymology dictionary, p. kind (n.).4
… of stupid "a kind of stupid (person), (one) not far from stupidity." However "good usage" once condemned as inaccurate the use as an adjective as in our kind of people …
776 Etymology dictionary, p. knothead (n.).2
"stupid person," by 1899, American English, from knot (n.) + head (n.). Joe Knothead is the name of a character in an 1857 blackface satire publication. And a local history …
777 Etymology dictionary, p. knucklehead (n.).2
also knuckle-head, "stupid person," 1890, American English, from knuckle (n.) + head (n.).
778 Etymology dictionary, p. knucklehead (n.).3
From 1869 as the name of a part in a type of mechanical coupling device. Popularized in the "stupid person" sense from 1942, from character R.F. Knucklehead, star of "Don't" posters hung up at U.S. Army Air Force training fields.
779 Etymology dictionary, p. lame-brain (n.).2
"stupid person," 1921, from lame (adj.) + brain (n.).
780 Etymology dictionary, p. loggerhead (n.).2
1580s, "stupid person, blockhead, dunce, numbskull," perhaps from dialectal logger "heavy block of wood" + head (n.). Later it meant a type of thick-headed iron tool (1680s …