# imbecile

/ˈɪmbəsaɪɫ/ (US) · /ɪmbˈɛsaɪl/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/imbecile
Updated: 2026-05-19

## Definition

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.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He called me an imbecile for making such a simple mistake.
- The manager was an absolute imbecile and fired the entire team for a minor error.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.