imbecility

noun

ˌim-bə-ˈsi-lə-tē How to pronounce imbecility (audio)
Definition of imbecilitynext
1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea was arrested for the sheer imbecility of speeding down a dark road with no headlights on

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2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment we were stunned by the imbecility of the ideas presented by this once-respected biologist

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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 imbecility When Constanze reaches her breaking point, Mozart’s imbecility is exposed as fragility. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imbecility
  1. insanity
  2. madness
  3. idiocy
  4. simplicity
  5. absurdity
Noun
  • Claiming that white skin color is why Bueckers and other white women have had success/opportunities, is insanity.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • And that was like Vitalogy, probably the peak of the insanity.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • This being Dodge, of course, the AWD is optional and can be shut off at will when the driver prefers rear-wheel madness.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Gold joined the show in Season 2, just as muppet madness was really taking off.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • There's always been an element of complete idiocy in the culture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Forty years on, Spy magazine is best remembered, not unjustly, as the first entity to call out Trump for his tackiness, villainy, and arrant idiocy.
    — David Kamp, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of idiocy
Noun
  • Now manufacturers are reconsidering whether that simplicity is worth the waste.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The simplicity of the shoes paired well with her crimson-red sequined and beaded ensemble that landed right at her ankles.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • Early on, Sakurai exploits the inherent absurdity of telling a story populated by so many ludicrous characters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike Gregor Samsa who is confined to his room after transforming into a huge insect, the protagonist still has to go to work, a dark and bleak absurdity that lays bare the alienation, isolation, and hypocrisy of modern life.
    — Deadline, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurdity

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imbecilities
imbecility
imbibe
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Cite this Entry

“Imbecility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imbecility. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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