simpleton en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈsɪmpəltən/
- (Southern-England) audio
- [ˈsɪmpəltʰən] ~ [ˈsɪmpl̩tʰn̩]
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *sem- Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-der. Latin sem- Proto-Italic *-plosder. Latin -plus Latin simplusbor. Old French simplebor. Middle English symple English simple English -ton English simpleton From simple + -ton (as in a surname). Compare French simplet, Italian semplicione.
Meanings
-
(derogatory, informal) A simple-minded person lacking common sense.
The stranger had crossed a sacred line. He had mentioned the men's mothers. Nothing could get him out of a beating now, even the fact that he was obviously a simpleton. Albeit a simpleton with a good vocabulary.
2001, Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl, page 92:Baron Cohen’s new creation (and the previous ones, too) has its roots in Groucho characters like Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, Otis B. Driftwood, and Prof. Quincy Adams Wagstaff, and the concept of a pompous simpleton running a rogue nation has obvious parallels to Duck Soup’s Rufus T. Firefly, who leads the country of Fredonia to a needless and highly preventable war.
2012 May 15, Scott Tobias, “Film: Reviews: The Dictator”, in The Onion AV Club:“Doesn't matter. That man is not the leader.” “But he is the main guy on the show.” “He is an actor, Nandor. A simpleton who paints his face. He is an empty-headed puppet who thinks the world loves him, when in actual fact, he is nothing more than a lapdog begging for scraps.” [groans] “No, he is not the leader. That would be another devil who pulls the strings. The halfwit they call the director.”
2024 November 25, Max Brockman, “P.I. Undercover: New York” (11:26 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, episode 8, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| simpletons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (130)
acm اَثْوَل (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ca ximplet (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nrf enfuntchi (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la ovis (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · mk простак (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru проста́к (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh глу̀пан (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · dv ގަމާރު (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · gl pastrán (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pt matarruano (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pt papalvo (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · de Simpel (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · arz مغفل (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cmn 呆子 (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pl prostaczka (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sq teveqel (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ko 얼간이 (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fi tomppeli (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru рази́ня (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fr nigaud (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sv dumbom (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nl simpele (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru ду́ра (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es mentecapto (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es bobalicón (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el απλοϊκός (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · de naiv (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru наивня́к (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · gl papón (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · tr safdil (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cs trouba (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · hu balek (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pt tolo (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fr niais (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · no enfoldig (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru недотё́па (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · mi pōrewarewa (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ro neghiob (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sv dummerjöns (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · mi rorirori (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · mi rorewaru (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · gl parvo (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la barcala (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh budàla (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ro prost (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es ingenuo (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nrf bouët-bouteux (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · gl papaxoubas (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cs moula (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fr naïf (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · tr avanak (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pt pateta (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · lv vientiesis (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pl naiwniak (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la blennus (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · az safdil (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ja 鈍間 (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh glùpan (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ga baothán (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sq loço (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cs hlupák (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fi hölmö (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ro prostănac (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nl idioot (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · br genaoueg (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · it sempliciotto (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru дура́к (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cs prosťáček (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · gl alpabarda (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · da tosse (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es papanatas (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el αφελής (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pl prostak (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ar سَاذَج (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el κορόιδο (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · hu fajankó (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cmn 二百五 (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fr simplet (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · de Naivling (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · it minchione (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nl domoor (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sq sylesh (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ro tâmpit (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · it semplicione (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nl eenvoudig (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · de Einfaltspinsel (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh nȁīvan (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cmn 傻瓜 (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ms pembaris (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la bārō (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la fatuus (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · hu mamlasz (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru остоло́п (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · bg глупак (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · tr keriz (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pdt Eefelt (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · arz ساذج (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cs blbeček (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · la stultus (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ar مُغَفَّل (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · az sadəlövh (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es simplón (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · it babbeo (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh на̏ӣван (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · bg абда́л (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es gaznápiro (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sh буда̀ла (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sq leshko (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es ababol (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · nrf marînjuette (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · da enfoldig (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · da naiv (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fi tyhmyri (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · mi hore (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sk sprostaňa (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es mentecato (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · az sadədil (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el μωρός (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ro naiv (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · ru простофи́ля (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el χαζός (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · cim dikhar (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · es panoli (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · fr ingénu (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pt simplório (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pl naiwniaczka (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · grc κέπφος (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · pl głupek (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · sk sprosták (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense) · el βλαξ (simple-minded naive person lacking common sense)