noun
jackass
JA-kas
noun
1
A male donkey.
"The farmer kept a jackass to breed with the mares."
2
Informal: a stupid, foolish, or obnoxious person.
"Only a jackass would leave the stove on and walk out."
"He acted like a total jackass at the wedding."
How to Use Jackass
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally a male donkey, but almost always used today as an insult meaning "idiot" or "obnoxious jerk".
When to use it
Mildly vulgar — fine in casual speech but avoid in formal or polite writing.
Common pairings
act like a jackass
total jackass
Word Forms
jackassed past tense, jackasses plural, jackasses plural, jackasses singular
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Etymology
A straightforward combination of "jack" (a male animal) and "ass" (donkey), later extended as an insult for a foolish or rude person.