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Noun: imbecile  'im-bu,sil or im-bu-sul [N. Amer], 'im-bu,see(-u)l [Brit]
Usage: informal
  1. A person of subnormal intelligence
    "The term 'imbecile' is now considered offensive and outdated in clinical contexts";
    - idiot, moron [informal], changeling [archaic], half-wit [informal], eejit [UK, Ireland, dialect], plank [Brit, informal], thickie [Brit, informal], thicko [informal]
Adjective: imbecile  'im-bu,sil or im-bu-sul [N. Amer], 'im-bu,see(-u)l [Brit]
  1. Devoid of good sense or judgment
    "imbecile remarks";
    - foolish, dumb, stupid, daft [Brit, informal], imbecilic

Derived forms: imbeciles

See also: absurd, anserine, asinine, birdbrained [informal], blockheaded [informal], boneheaded [informal], chuckleheaded [informal], cloddish, cockeyed [informal], dense, derisible, derisory, derp [informal], dim [informal], dolt [informal], doltish, dopey, dopy, dull, dullard, dumb, duncical [informal], duncish [informal], dunderheaded [informal], fatheaded [informal], fatuous, fond, foolish, gaumless [Brit, archaic, informal], goofy [informal], gooselike, goosey, goosy, gormless [Brit, informal], harebrained [informal], idiotic, ill-advised, ill-conceived, impolitic, imprudent, inadvisable, inane, insane, jerky, knuckleheaded [informal], laughable, loggerheaded [informal], ludicrous, lumpen, lumpish, mad, meatball [N. Amer, informal], mindless, misbegotten, misguided, muttonheaded [informal], nitwitted [informal], nonsensical, obtuse, pea-brained [informal], pillock [Brit, informal], preposterous, pudden-head [US, informal], pudding head [informal], rattlebrained, rattlepated, ridic [informal], ridiculous, scatterbrained, scatty [Brit, informal], senseless, silly, slow, soft-witted, stupe [N. Amer, informal], stupid, stupid person, thick [informal], thickheaded [informal], thick-skulled [informal], thick-witted [informal], unadvisable, unadvised, unintelligent, unthinking, unwise, vacant, vacuous, wacky, weak, whacky, witless, wooden-headed [informal], yokel-like, zany

Type of: simple [archaic], simpleton

Encyclopedia: Imbecile