Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [im-buh-sil, -suh l or, esp. British, -seel]
- /ˈɪm bə sɪl, -səl or, esp. British, -ˌsil/
- /ˈɪm.bə.siːl/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [im-buh-sil, -suh l or, esp. British, -seel]
- /ˈɪm bə sɪl, -səl or, esp. British, -ˌsil/
Definitions of imbecile word
- noun imbecile Informal. a dunce; blockhead; dolt: Don't stand there like an imbecile. Open the door!. 1
- noun imbecile Psychology. (no longer in technical use; now considered offensive) a person of the second order in a former and discarded classification of mental retardation, above the level of idiocy, having a mental age of seven or eight years and an intelligence quotient of 25 to 50. 1
- adjective imbecile Informal. stupid; silly; absurd. 1
- adjective imbecile Usually Offensive. showing mental feebleness or incapacity. 1
- adjective imbecile Archaic. weak or feeble. 1
- noun imbecile stupid person 1
Information block about the term
Origin of imbecile
First appearance:
before 1540 One of the 30% oldest English words
1540-50; earlier imbecill < Latin imbēcillus weak; -ile replacing -ill by confusion with suffix -ile
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Imbecile
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
imbecile popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 73% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
imbecile usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for imbecile
adj imbecile
- simple — easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.
- thick — having relatively great extent from one surface or side to the opposite; not thin: a thick slice.
- asinine — If you describe something or someone as asinine, you mean that they are very foolish.
- backward — A backward movement or look is in the direction that your back is facing. Some people use backwards for this meaning.
- deranged — Someone who is deranged behaves in a wild and uncontrolled way, often as a result of mental illness.
noun imbecile
- fool — to trick, deceive, or impose on: They tried to fool him.
- dummy — a representation or copy of something, as for displaying to indicate appearance: a display of lipstick dummies made of colored plastic.
- dunce — a dull-witted, stupid, or ignorant person; dolt.
- jerk — to move with a quick, sharp motion; move spasmodically.
- idiot — Informal. an utterly foolish or senseless person: If you think you can wear that outfit to a job interview and get hired, you're an idiot!
Antonyms for imbecile
adj imbecile
- intelligent — having good understanding or a high mental capacity; quick to comprehend, as persons or animals: an intelligent student.
- brainy — Someone who is brainy is clever and good at learning.
- smart — having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability: a smart student.
noun imbecile
- genius — an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart. Synonyms: intelligence, ingenuity, wit; brains.
- brain — Your brain is the organ inside your head that controls your body's activities and enables you to think and to feel things such as heat and pain.
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See also
Matching words
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