moron

noun

mo·​ron ˈmȯr-ˌän 

plural morons

1

: a foolish or stupid person

… once their business is over [clients] go right back to thinking you're either a crook or a moron. Realty is not a friendly business. It only seems to be.

—Richard Ford

2

dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below : a person affected with mild intellectual disability

moronic

mə-ˈrä-nik 

mȯ-

adjective

moronically

mə-ˈrä-ni-k(ə-)lē 

mȯ-

adverb

moronism

ˈmȯr-ˌä-ˌni-zəm 

noun

moronity

mə-ˈrä-nə-tē 

mȯ-

noun

Usage of Moron

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives 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.

Synonyms of moron

• idiot
• stupid

Examples of moron in a Sentence

They were acting like a bunch of morons.

I can't believe I did something so stupid. I feel like a complete moron.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 June 2026

Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron. — Colm Tóibín, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2026

The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 13 Jan. 2026

Overwhelmingly, though, the most common response was to seek confirmation of their suspicions that Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were morons. — Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

irregular from Greek mōros foolish, stupid

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for moron

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

moron

noun

mo·​ron ˈmō(ə)r-ˌän 

ˈmȯ(ə)r-

: a very stupid person

moronic

mə-ˈrän-ik 

mȯ-

adjective

Medical Definition

moron

noun

mo·​ron ˈmō(ə)r-ˌän, ˈmȯ(ə)r- 

dated, now offensive; see usage paragraph below

: a person affected with mild intellectual disability

Usage of Moron

The terms idiot, imbecile, moron, and their derivatives were formerly used as technical descriptors in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts. These uses were broadly rejected by the close of the 20th century and are now considered offensive.

Legal Definition

moron

noun

mo·​ron ˈmōr-ˌän 

: a person with a mild or moderate intellectual disability

—used formerly see also idiot