noun

idiot

ID-ee-ut/ˈɪdiət/

An insulting term for a foolish or stupid person.

He feels like an idiot for trying to fill a bucket full of holes.

An adult foolishly attempts to fill a plainly perforated bucket with water, surprised as water escapes through holes; foolish behavior rather than disability or identity caricature.

Etymology

Greek idiōtēs described a private person or layman rather than a professional. Its patronizing use for someone unskilled or ignorant led toward the modern insult for a foolish person.

In context

Mike Pertz5:25

when you were 17 you were just an idiot and you got fired from a job because you stopped showing up because you thought your boss was a jerk

What To Expect During A Chief's Interview

More examples

I was an idiot to leave my keys inside.
She told him not to call his classmate an idiot.
Only an idiot would ignore that obvious warning, he complained.

Forms

idiot · idiots

Similar words

fool: Often criticizes judgment rather than intelligence.
dunce: Especially insults slow learning rather than any foolish behavior.