Definition of CRETIN

Did You Know?

Chronic iodine deficiencies in diet can result in malfunctions of the thyroid gland, the gland that produces hormones necessary for normal human development. Some mountainous regions, such as parts of the Alps, do not naturally provide their inhabitants with a diet rich enough in iodine, and the resultant hypothyroidism causes stunted growth and mental retardation. In Franco-Provençal (the Romance speech of French Switzerland and adjacent areas of France), a person affected by hypothyroidism was called a cretin, literally, “wretch, innocent victim,” The word meant simply “Christian” and emphasized the hypothyroid victim's basic humanity.

Examples of cretin in a Sentence

a cretin who's constantly forwarding e-mails filled with racist and sexist jokes in discussions anyone who disagrees with her is inevitably called a cretin

Recent Examples on the Web

There are the buck-passers, cretins who are content to simply stand up, find another table, and pass their misfortune on to some other unsuspecting soul. — Amiel Stanek, Bon Appétit, "This 20-Cent Wedge of Plastic Will Make You a Restaurant Hero," 26 Aug. 2019 Sandy Hook Elementary School was razed and rebuilt but conspiracy mongers, cretins, and potential copycats continue to feed their malignant imaginations. — Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, "Kafer: Don’t raze Columbine High School; hold trespassers accountable," 20 June 2019 Anyone who saw pictures of that kid lying on the pavement with all the bullet wounds and did not feel a tinge of empathy is a cretin. — Alan Feuer, New York Times, "A Murder, a Conviction and a Never-Ending Case," 21 Feb. 2018 Embodied by a deadpanning Brade Bradshaw, the teacher warns us not to expect much from the night’s show, while simultaneously making clear that the kids are cretins and monsters. — Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "One duo shines amid Rep Lab experiments," 16 Feb. 2018 Sandy Hook Elementary School was razed and rebuilt but conspiracy mongers, cretins, and potential copycats continue to feed their malignant imaginations. — Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, "Kafer: Don’t raze Columbine High School; hold trespassers accountable," 20 June 2019 Anyone who saw pictures of that kid lying on the pavement with all the bullet wounds and did not feel a tinge of empathy is a cretin. — Alan Feuer, New York Times, "A Murder, a Conviction and a Never-Ending Case," 21 Feb. 2018 Embodied by a deadpanning Brade Bradshaw, the teacher warns us not to expect much from the night’s show, while simultaneously making clear that the kids are cretins and monsters. — Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "One duo shines amid Rep Lab experiments," 16 Feb. 2018 Compared to working for that little cretin Snyder, the Bengals are positively aspirational. — Paul Daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Reds remain a gigantic what if," 14 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cretin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.