cretins

noun

plural of cretin
1
as in bastards
a person whose behavior is offensive to others the captain finally had to deal with the cretin in the back of the plane

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in morons
a stupid person in discussions anyone who disagrees with her is inevitably called a cretin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cretins Thank goodness plenty of non-cretins exist across Texas, including some within his own political party, and those folks spoke out against the post. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Generation after generation of cretins and weirdos become Ramones lovers. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 7 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cretins
  1. jerks
  2. morons
  3. clowns
  4. idiots
  5. dogs
  6. lunatics
Noun
  • Lee and his Burning co-writer Oh Jung-mi resist what might have been the first instinct of many filmmakers by refusing to make Ye-ji and Sang-woo overly patronizing rich jerks.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The Ars OpenForum is a place for readers to ask questions, compare notes, argue (without being jerks to each other), and go down all sorts of rabbit holes.
    — Eric Bangeman, ArsTechnica, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerks
Noun
  • There are complicated brain-chemistry factors involved that have to do with testosterone, and dopaminergic systems, and kappa-opioid receptors, all of which seem to add up to a Jim Gaffigan joke about how men are morons compared with their wives.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 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
Definition of morons
Noun
  • His high-fashion clowns, bears and other quirks always deliver.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The gasoline shortage has become such a feature of daily life that even clowns at Moscow’s circus have cracked jokes about it.
    — Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of clowns
Noun
  • Eleven gullible idiots were talked into acquitting because of an imaginary female ailment.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • And then there’s the culture of the scientists, and these idiots can’t read Dickens.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of idiots
Noun
  • But using dogs to investigate crimes wasn’t widely adopted until the mid ‘80s, Gould said.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The study found that larger dogs lose 35% more LINE1 methylation than smaller dogs.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of dogs
Noun
  • The show will serve as a platform for countless lunatics within the InfoWars universe and a platform for larger announcements about the company’s fictional exploits.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Republicans see an opportunity here, portraying progressive and socialist Democrats as lunatics and communists.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of lunatics

Browse Nearby Words

cretinous
cretins
crevasse
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Cite this Entry

“Cretins.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cretins. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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