loon

Meaning

1. (slang) A crazy or deranged person; a lunatic.
2. (obsolete) An idler, a lout.
3. A boy, a lad.
4. A harlot; mistress.
5. A simpleton.
6. An English soldier of an expeditionary army in Ireland.
7. A round area of pavement that protrudes from one side of a road to accommodate turning vehicles with a wide turning circle.

Synonyms

diver

diver

birdbrain

addlehead

addle-head

sluggard

deadhead

dingbat

dullard

dumbbell

faineant

fathead

fellow

fool

gawk

good-for-nothing

goose

🪿

guy

heron

idler

klutz

kook

lad

lout

man

👨

moron

mug

ninny

nitwit

nutcase

pill

💊

rogue

scamp

schlep

simpleton

shlep

turkey

twit

wally

good-for-naught

goofball

water-hen

diving bird

schlepper

shlepper

stupid person

boor

bore

chap

clown

coot

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈluːn/

Etymology

From Middle English louen, lowen (“rascal; rogue”), probably of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin. Compare Dutch loen (“simpleton”). Or, related to sense 2, due to the bird's loud cry. Folk etymology associates it slang-wise with lunatic, though the latter may have influenced it; see loony.