The English idiot originally meant “ignorant person,” but the more usual reference now is to a person who lacks basic intelligence or common sense rather than education.
An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person. Idiot was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two.
IDIOT definition: an utterly foolish or senseless person. See examples of idiot used in a sentence.
IDIOT definition: 1. a stupid person or someone who is behaving in a stupid way: 2. a stupid person or someone who.. Learn more.
Definition of idiot noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
If you call someone an idiot, you are showing that you think they are very stupid or have done something very stupid.
Feb 3, 2026 · Only an idiot would fail this exam. After failing a hat-trick of exams, the teacher called him an idiot.
