nincompoop

Meaning

A foolish or silly person.

Synonyms

fool

ninny

simpleton

jackass

blockhead

dimwit

poop

💩

tomfool

imbecile

chump

inept person

muggins

goon

duffer

gimp

goof

goose

🪿

gudgeon

half-wit

idiot

ignoramus

lame

lout

lummox

moron

mutt

nitwit

noodle

oaf

palooka

simp

slob

square

stupid

sucker

twerp

twirp

twit

tyke

weenie

zany

dumbass

gubbins

stupid person

tike

pampoen

bonehead

booby

bozo

bumpkin

Translations

abruti

stommeling

crétin

cornichon

nigaud

Dummkopf

Einfaltspinsel

domoor

dadais

lomperd

imbécile

demeuré

stupido

sot

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈnɪŋkəmpuːp/

Etymology

Uncertain; the first element nincom- is possibly from the name Nicholas or Nicodemus (compare French nicodème (“foolish or gullible person”), from the Pharisee named Nicodemus mentioned in the Bible who asks Jesus seemingly naive questions: see John 3:1–21), or from ninny (“foolish or silly person”), while the second element -poop could be derived from poop (“(obsolete) to cheat, deceive, fool”). The English lexicographer Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) suggested that the first element might be from Latin non compos (mentis) (“not of sound mind”), but the Oxford English Dictionary notes that this does not correspond with early forms of the word from the 16th century such as nickumpoop and nicompoop.