stupid | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

jughead (n.)

"klutz, stupid person," 1926, from jug (n.) + head (n.).

brainless (adj.)

late 15c., "witless, stupid," from brain (n.) + -less. Related: Brainlessly; brainlessness.

muttonhead (n.)

"dull or stupid person," 1803, American English, from mutton + head (n.).

dickhead (n.)

"stupid, contemptible person," by 1969, from dick in the "penis" sense + head (n.).

duffer (n.)

"inept person; stupid, dull old man," 1842, especially "bad golfer" (by 1875), perhaps from Scottish duffar "dull or stupid person," from dowf "stupid," literally "deaf," from Old Norse daufr, with pejorative suffix -art. Or perhaps from 18c. thieves' slang duff (v.) "to dress or manipulate an old thing and make it look new," hence duffer "one who sells spurious goods at high prices" (1766).

wack (n.)

"crazy person," 1938, back-formation from wacky. Adjective in slang sense of "worthless, stupid," is attested from late 1990s.

dullard (n.)

"stupid person, dunce, simpleton," mid-15c. (but early 13c. as a surname), from dull (adj.) + -ard.

numbskull (n.)

"dull-witted or stupid person," 1717, numskull, from num, old spelling of numb (adj.) + skull. Numskulled (adj.) is attested from 1706.

ass-head (n.)

also asshead, "stupid person, dullard," late 15c., asse hede, from ass (n.1) + head (n.). Related: Ass-headed.

gony (n.)

1580s, "simpleton, stupid person," of unknown origin. Applied by sailors to the albatross and similar big, clumsy birds (1839). Related: Gony-bird.

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