dingbat

Meaning

1. (informal) A silly, crazy or stupid person.
2. A special ornamental typographical symbol, such as a bullet, an arrow, a pointing hand etc.
3. An architectural style of apartment building, where the second storey overhangs an area for parking cars.
4. A kind of word puzzle involving pictures or typography that hint at the solution.
5. (slang) Anything that can be thrown or swung with force against something else.
6. A small device or gadget, the correct term for which is forgotten or unknown.

Synonyms

birdbrain

dingus

dullard

dumbbell

fathead

fool

gawk

goose

🪿

klutz

loon

moron

mug

ninny

nitwit

schlep

simpleton

thingummy

shlep

turkey

twit

wally

goofball

stupid person

schlepper

shlepper

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈdɪŋˌbæt/

Etymology

Unknown, US mid 19th century. The word-puzzle sense comes from the board game Dingbats, which is based on these puzzles.