IDIOT

Meaning

A person of low general intelligence.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *swé Proto-Indo-European *swéd-yo-s Proto-Hellenic *hwédios Ancient Greek ἴδιος (ídios) Ancient Greek -ώτης (-ṓtēs) Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs) Latin idiotabor. Old French idiotebor. Middle English ydiote English idiot From Middle English idiote, ydiote, from Old French idiote (later idiot), from Latin idiota, from Ancient Greek ἰδιώτης (idiṓtēs, “a private citizen, one who has no professional knowledge, layman”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private”). Doublet of idiota. By surface analysis, idi- + -ot.

Synonyms & Antonyms

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 22 recorded puzzles:

• 2026-08-29TADHINO
• 2026-06-18TDEFIOX
• 2026-02-05ODNIHTM
• 2025-12-23ICYODLT
• 2025-10-13TCDIMOY
• 2025-09-28ODTVNIE
• 2025-09-22DGOTHIN
• 2025-07-08OATIDNX
• 2025-06-08OATPNID
• 2025-01-31ITAOLDN
• 2024-11-13IDMORTY
• 2024-05-25IAOHDNT

+10 earlier appearances in the archive.