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einstein

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈaɪnstaɪn// ein·stein Archaic Informal Mathematics Physics
Definition

n. a person who is extremely smart. You can also use it as a joke to describe someone who has just done something silly.

n. an exceptionally intelligent person; a genius. Often used ironically in informal speech to mock someone who has made an obvious mistake or stated something self-evident.


SIMPLE

You don't need to be an Einstein to solve this puzzle.

CONTEXTUAL

Nice job locking your keys in the car, Einstein.

COMPLEX

While the team lacked a singular Einstein to lead the research, their collective expertise allowed them to solve the complex physics equations ahead of schedule.

Origin

Borrowed from German Einstein. * The common noun is an eponym of Albert Einstein.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Usage

Used as a common noun to describe a type of person rather than the historical figure.

Related words

Last updated May 2, 2026