imbecile
im-be-cile · noun
Definitions
noun
- 1.
(Noun, informal, offensive) A stupid person; a fool.
- 2.
(Adjective, informal) Stupid or idiotic.
- 3.
(Historical, now offensive) A person with a mental disability, specifically one with a mental age of three to seven years.
Forms
plural: imbeciles
Related words
Etymology
From Latin imbecillus ("weak, feeble"), originally meaning physically weak before acquiring the sense of mental weakness. Entered English in the 16th century through French.