Politicians and pundits are prone to making statements which are not fact-based and which may run counter to reality. Similarly, many conspiracy theorists spin wild stories based on fantasies, wishes, magical thinking, and gossip. When people who have been educated to respect, admire, and explore reality encounter fantasy-based statements, they are sometimes inclined to label those who make these statements as stupid. Let’s expand our vocabulary a bit and look at some alternative labels.
Nincompoop:
Nincompoop is an old standby that refers to someone who has no brain and acts like a fool. With regard to etymology, the word “nincompoop” entered English in the 1670s and appears to be an invented word. While there are some writers who claim that “nincompoop” originated with the Latin legal phrase “non compos mentis” meaning “insane, mentally incompetent,” etymologists have generally disproven this connection. As a made-up word it seems appropriate to be used in describing someone who makes up and/or believes ridiculous fantasies.
Nitwit:
The word “nitwit” meaning “one with very little intelligence; stupid person” or in a less academic sense “one who has no fucking clue about what they are doing” might be used as an alternative to “nitwit.” In terms of etymology, “nitwit” was created as an English word in 1922 using “nit” meaning “nothing” from Yiddish and “wit” meaning “mental capacity” from English.
Dimwit:
Closely related to “nitwit”, the term “dimwit” refers to someone who is not as smart as the average person or someone who has crazy ideas that could be considered dangerous. With regard to etymology, “dimwit” combines “dim” which acquired the slang sense of “stupid” in 1892 with “wit” meaning “mental capacity.” Like “nitwit,” “dimwit” came into English in 1922 as a form of college slang.
Ninny:
The word “ninny” meaning “simpleton, fool” does not come from “nincompoop” but first appears in English in the 1590s and comes from “an innocent.” There also appears to be some influence from the Italian word “ninno” which means “baby, child.”
Dolt:
Going back in time, we find that the word “dolt” entered English in the 1540s and is based on the Middle English “dullen” which means “to make or become dazed or stupid.”
Imbecile:
Like “dolt”, the word “imbecile” came into English in the 1540s with the meaning “weak, feeble” with reference to the body. In the mid-eighteenth century, the meaning of the word shifted to mental illness. In 1802 it meant an adult with a mental age of 6 or 9.
Blockhead:
Another word which came into English during the 1540s was “blockhead” meaning “stupid person.” The word originated with the image of the head-shaped oaken block which was used by hat-makers.
Dork:
The work “dork” meaning “stupid person” is another word coming out of U.S. student slang. It entered English in 1967, although earlier (in 1964) it was used with the meaning of “penis.”