imbécil

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See also: imbecil and imbècil

Spanish

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Etymology

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From Latin imbēcillus, from in- (no) + baculum (walking stick, staff), in the sense of “weak, vulnerable”.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): (Spain) /imˈbeθil/ [ĩmˈbe.θil]
  • IPA(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /imˈbesil/ [ĩmˈbe.sil]
  • Rhymes: -eθil
  • Rhymes: -esil
  • Syllabification: im‧bé‧cil

Adjective

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imbécil m or f (masculine and feminine plural imbéciles)

  1. (offensive) dumb, having the properties of an imbecile

Noun

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imbécil m or f by sense (plural imbéciles)

  1. (offensive) imbecile, moron, dimwit, nitwit, sucker, dolt, shithead, nincompoop
  2. (offensive) asshole, prick, jerk, dickhead, twit, twerp, schmuck

Usage notes

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  • Although in some contexts zonzo, bobo, tonto, menso, culero, tarado, idiota, imbécil, estúpido and pendejo may be synonyms, in most contexts have a different degree, zonzo having the mildest connotation, increasing its intensity in that rough order, to estúpido and pendejo, which have the most offensive sense.
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Further reading

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