noun
nincompoop
NIHNG-kuhm-poop
Nincompoop (noun) means a silly, foolish person. Example: “Only a nincompoop would leave the front door wide open overnight.”
noun
1
A silly, foolish person.
"These epics nearly always had runaway trains, nincompoops floundering with the controls and a collapsed bridge just ahead!"
— David Gunston, Railways on the Screen (1958)
"Only a nincompoop would leave the front door wide open overnight."
"He called himself a nincompoop for forgetting the tickets."
"No wonder that Chauvelin's spies had failed to detect, in the apparently brainless nincompoop, the man whose reckless daring and resourceful ingenuity had baffled the keenest French spies, both in France and in England."
— Baroness Orczy i.e, The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905)
How to use nincompoop
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old-fashioned, faintly comic word for a fool.
When to use it
Playful rather than cruel — often used affectionately or in jest.
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Word forms
- Plural
- nincompoops
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Only a _____ would leave the front door wide open overnight.
Etymology
Origin uncertain and debated for centuries; possibly linked to the name Nicodemus or to "ninny," with a second part that may come from an old sense of "poop" meaning to fool or deceive.
Related words
Rhymes for nincompoop
See all rhymes for nincompoop →Frequently asked questions
What does “nincompoop” mean?
The word “nincompoop” means a silly, foolish person. In plain terms, an old-fashioned, faintly comic word for a fool.
How do you pronounce “nincompoop”?
“Nincompoop” is pronounced NIHNG-kuhm-poop (/ˈnɪŋkəmˌpup/ in IPA).
How do you use “nincompoop” in a sentence?
Here is “nincompoop” used in a sentence: “Only a nincompoop would leave the front door wide open overnight.”
What part of speech is “nincompoop”?
“Nincompoop” is a noun.
