different between nitwit vs idiot
nitwit
English
Etymology
First attested in the 1910s in the US Northeast. Likely from German nit, dialectal form of nichts (“nothing”), or Yiddish ???? (nit), dialectal form of ????? (nisht, “no”), although some dictionaries give the alternative etymology nit (“louse egg; something very small”) +? wit.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /?n?tw?t/
Noun
nitwit (plural nitwits)
- (informal) A scatterbrained or stupid person.
- 1918, State Bar Association of Connecticut, Annual Report, page 82
- If you don't remember you are a nitwit. If you do answer, well, you know what the penalty is for perjury.
- 1921, Emmett Campbell Hall, "Need a Hero be a Nitwit?", The Editor, page 58
- 1918, State Bar Association of Connecticut, Annual Report, page 82
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:fool
Translations
nitwit From the web:
- what nitwit mean
- nitwit what is the definition
- what does nitwit mean
- what are nitwits in minecraft
- what does nitwit blubber oddment tweak
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- what do nitwits do in minecraft
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idiot
English
Alternative forms
- eejit (Irish English, eye dialect)
- idjit, idget (eye dialect)
Etymology
From Middle English idiote, ydiote, from Old French idiote (later idiot), from Latin idiota, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”), from ????? (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private”).
Pronunciation
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /??d.i.(j)?t/, /??d.i.(j)?t/
Noun
idiot (plural idiots)
- (derogatory) A person of low general intelligence.
- (derogatory) A person who makes stupid decisions; a fool.
- (obsolete, medicine, psychology) A person of the lowest intellectual standing, a person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old; a person with an IQ below 30.
Usage notes
- While pejorative, the word is only a weak insult, and between close friends or family members it may be used affectionately.
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:idiot
Antonyms
- genius
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Adjective
idiot (comparative more idiot, superlative most idiot)
- (uncommon) idiotic, stupid
Translations
Czech
Noun
idiot m
- (mildly vulgar) idiot (disliked or slow-witted person)
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hlupák
- idiot (person who lacks the capacity to develop beyond the mental age of a normal four-year-old)
Related terms
- idiotský
- idiocie
Further reading
- idiot in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
- idiot in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989
Danish
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s)
Noun
idiot
- (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool
Derived terms
- idiotsikker
- kraftidiot
References
- “idiot” in Den Danske Ordbog
French
Etymology
From Old French idiot (cf. also the older form idiote), borrowed from Latin idi?ta, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “layman”) from ????? (ídios, “private”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /i.djo/
- Homophone: idiots
- Rhymes: -jo
Adjective
idiot (feminine singular idiote, masculine plural idiots, feminine plural idiotes)
- idiotic; stupid
Noun
idiot m (plural idiots, feminine idiote)
- idiot
Descendants
- ? Polish: idiota
Further reading
- “idiot” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s)
Noun
idiot m (definite singular idioten, indefinite plural idioter, definite plural idiotene)
- (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool
Derived terms
- idiotsikker
- kraftidiot
- kronidiot
References
- “idiot” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s)
Noun
idiot m (definite singular idioten, indefinite plural idiotar, definite plural idiotane)
- (derogatory) an idiot, imbecile, fool
Derived terms
- idiotsikker
- kraftidiot
- kronidiot
References
- “idiot” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old French
Alternative forms
- idiote
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin idi?ta, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “layman”) from ????? (ídios, “private”).
Adjective
idiot m (oblique and nominative feminine singular idiote)
- ignorant; narrow-minded
Usage notes
- The form idiote was sometimes used as both masculine and feminine, as a direct borrowing from Latin idiota.
Descendants
- ? English: idiot
- French: idiot
References
- Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle (1881) (idiot, supplement)
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French idiot, itself borrowed from Latin idi?ta, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “layman”) from ????? (ídios, “private”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /i.di?ot/
Noun
idiot m (plural idio?i, feminine equivalent idioat?)
- idiot, moron, imbecile
Synonyms
- prost, tâmpit, imbecil, cretin
Adjective
idiot m or n (feminine singular idioat?, masculine plural idio?i, feminine and neuter plural idioate)
- stupid, idiotic, foolish, absurd
Declension
Synonyms
- prost, tâmpit, stupid
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
From Latin idi?ta, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /id?ot/
- Hyphenation: i?di?ot
Noun
idìot m (Cyrillic spelling ?????)
- idiot
Declension
See also
- glùpan
- blèsan
- krèt?n
Slovak
Etymology
From Latin idi?ta, from Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?idi?t/
Noun
idiot m (genitive singular idiota, nominative plural idioti, genitive plural idiotov, declension pattern of chlap)
- (derogatory) idiot
Declension
Derived terms
- idiotický
- idioticky
- idiotstvo
- idiotizmus
See also
- blázon
- hlupák
Further reading
- idiot in Slovak dictionaries at korpus.sk
Swedish
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ??????? (idi?t?s, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”), from ????? (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private”).
Pronunciation
Noun
idiot c
- (derogatory) idiot
Declension
idiot From the web:
- what idiot designed this thing
- what idiot mean
- what idiot called it
- what idiot put you in charge
- what idiot in spanish
- what idiot invented homework
- what idiot in japanese
- what idiot invented common core
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