imbécil

== Spanish == === Etymology === From Latin imbēcillus, from in- (“no”) + baculum (“walking stick, staff”), in the sense of “weak, vulnerable”. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /imˈbeθil/ [ĩmˈbe.θil] (Spain) IPA(key): /imˈbesil/ [ĩmˈbe.sil] (Latin America, Philippines) Rhymes: -eθil (Spain) Rhymes: -esil (Latin America, Philippines) Syllabification: im‧bé‧cil === Adjective === imbécil m or f (masculine and feminine plural imbéciles) (offensive) dumb, having the properties of an imbecile === Noun === imbécil m or f by sense (plural imbéciles) (offensive) imbecile, moron, dimwit, nitwit, sucker, dolt, shithead, nincompoop (offensive) asshole, prick, jerk, dickhead, twit, twerp, schmuck, dumbass ==== Usage notes ==== Although in some contexts zonzo, bobo, tonto, menso, culero, tarado, idiota, imbécil, estúpido and pendejo may be synonyms, in most contexts have a different degree, zonzo having the mildest connotation, increasing its intensity in that rough order, to estúpido and pendejo, which have the most offensive sense. ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === “imbécil”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025