1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
quit acting like a nincompoop, because I know you are smarter than that
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in moron
a stupid person
who wants a nincompoop as a business partner?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nincompoop
Everyone in the imperium knows the emperor is a nincompoop—and yet no one wants to go out on a limb to criticize him.
—
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Korda has declared that, because his nine sons are, frankly, nincompoops and rapscallions, Liesl will be the sole heir to his fortune.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
Paired alongside Williams and Dunst’s airheads, Ferrell plays a nincompoop Bob Woodward, but the role doesn’t give him much of a chance to cut loose.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Being a nature nincompoop may have saved him from a grisly fate.
—Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2025
As Jimmy, the chief pushover, Jimmy, Norman makes for a sympathetic enough nincompoop.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 June 2024
Only one police officer pops up there, a smiley nincompoop who sucks down children’s birthday cake from behind a desk and shrugs his way through conversation.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
Somebody else could have gotten away with doing half as much, but Ruffalo proves a compound nincompoop.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Korda has declared that, because his nine sons are, frankly, nincompoops and rapscallions, Liesl will be the sole heir to his fortune.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025
Paired alongside Williams and Dunst’s airheads, Ferrell plays a nincompoop Bob Woodward, but the role doesn’t give him much of a chance to cut loose.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Being a nature nincompoop may have saved him from a grisly fate.
—Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Jan. 2025
As Jimmy, the chief pushover, Jimmy, Norman makes for a sympathetic enough nincompoop.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 16 June 2024
Only one police officer pops up there, a smiley nincompoop who sucks down children’s birthday cake from behind a desk and shrugs his way through conversation.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
Somebody else could have gotten away with doing half as much, but Ruffalo proves a compound nincompoop.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nincompoop
Noun
-
Friends with a sudden devotion to nature begin making plans to convene in parks; TurboTax becomes your closest email companion; your risk of injury at the hands of a lunatic on a City Bike, haunted by the memory of a New Year’s resolution to exercise, may increase.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
-
This drunk moron — quite different from his character in the novel — bears a ton of blame.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Any one of 162 games is less a sample size than a glance, and fool’s gold is ever present.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Don’t let the recent rain fool you.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
-
But the new parking fees at Balboa Park are a whole new level of stupid.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stimulus from the One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 is projected to goose growth, with lower regulations and a boost in tax refunds that could help consumers cope with elevated prices.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
People decorated chicken, goose, duck and ostrich eggs, and other natural materials, such as wood.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nincompoop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nincompoop. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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