English Reference
Noun

imbecile

n.
C2 Proficiency US /ˈɪmbəsaɪɫ/ UK /ɪmbˈɛsaɪl/ im·be·cile UK spelling imbeciles

n.a person who is very stupid or acts in a foolish way. It is a very rude word that people use to insult someone they think is not smart.

n.a person of low intelligence or a fool. Highly offensive and derogatory in modern usage; typically used as an insult to describe someone perceived as lacking common sense.


SIMPLE

He called me an imbecile for making such a simple mistake.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager was an absolute imbecile and fired the entire team for a minor error.

This entry
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated