DictionarycluckFoolish person
noun

cluck

A foolish or inept person.

I feel like a cluck when I forget my own address.

Etymology

Cluck imitates the short call of a hen. Applied to a person, the bird sound became a belittling label suggesting foolishness or ineffectual behavior.

More examples

  • Don't be a cluck; read the directions before you start.
  • Only a cluck would pay twice for the same ticket.
  • The manager treats us like clucks who can't follow instructions.

Forms

cluck · clucks

Similar words

fool
A broader term for someone showing poor judgment.
idiot
A harsher insult that more directly attacks someone's intelligence.