SKIP TO CONTENT

imbecile

/ˈɪmbəsɪl/
/ˈɪmbɛsil/
IPA guide

Other forms: imbeciles; imbecilely

If your best friend calls you an imbecile, he's implying that you're stupid, and he's probably pretty angry with you. An imbecile is an extremely stupid person.

The noun imbecile is used informally as an insult to mean "fool". Its origins are in the Latin word imbecille, "weak or feeble," and it was an official medical term for people with a specific (and low) I.Q. in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Patients who were classified as imbeciles were said to have no more intelligence than a seven year-old child.

Definitions of imbecile
  1. noun
    a person of subnormal intelligence
    see moresee less
    type of:
    simple, simpleton
    a person lacking intelligence or common sense
  2. adjective
    having a mental age of three to seven years
    synonyms: idiotic, imbecilic
Pronunciation
US
/ˈɪmbəsɪl/
UK
/ˈɪmbɛsil/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘imbecile'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family