idiotic

adjective

id·​i·​ot·​ic ˌi-dē-ˈä-tik 

variants or less commonly idiotical

ˌi-dē-ˈä-ti-kəl 

1

: showing complete lack of thought or common sense : foolish

an idiotic question

found his excuses idiotic

2

dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below : characterized by extreme intellectual disability

idiotically

ˌi-dē-ˈä-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

smiled idiotically

Usage of Idiotic

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives, such as idiotic, were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. The use of these terms in the context of extreme intellectual disability was broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and is now considered offensive.

Examples of idiotic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s been an idiotic trope for too long — that participating in the business side of it taints you. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026

Red-Bodied Dog Tick Has your idiotic dog wandered onto a bucolic patch of grass that hasn’t been freshly treated with toxins? —Jay Ruttenberg, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Covering politics today is a grim dance between the vicious and the idiotic, between repulsion and despair. —Megan McArdle, Washington Post, 10 May 2026

Think of the costs of an idiotic war that could have covered universal childcare and college tuitions. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 8 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for idiotic

• aprotic
• aquatic
• biotic
• chaotic
• cirrhotic
• demotic
• despotic
• dichotic
• erotic
• euphotic
• exotic
• fibrotic

Kids Definition

idiotic

adjective

id·​i·​ot·​ic ˌid-ē-ˈät-ik 

: showing complete lack of thought or common sense : foolish

idiotically

-ˈät-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb