idiocy

/ˈɪdiəsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪdiəsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈi-dē-ə-sē/ (ame, mw)

idiocy — noun

  • idiocysingular
  • idiociesplural

1. behaviour that shows a complete lack of good judgement or intelligence; a remark

1.名詞B2
釋義

behaviour that shows a complete lack of good judgement or intelligence; a remark or action that is extremely foolish, such as deleting important files without checking first or investing all your money in a risky scheme.

例句

The government's decision to close the only hospital in town was an act of pure idiocy.

collocation: pure idiocy / sheer idiocy / utter idiocy

Jumping off the roof into the swimming pool was exactly the kind of idiocy that lands people in the emergency room.

countable use: the kind of idiocy

同義詞
  • stupidity

    broader and less intense; idiocy suggests a more extreme level of foolishness

  • foolishness

    milder; describes poor judgement without the same harsh judgement

  • lunacy

    informal and stronger; implies behaviour that is not just stupid but also reckless

  • absurdity

    focuses on how unreasonable or ridiculous something is rather than its lack of intelligence

反義詞
  • wisdom

    good judgement based on experience and knowledge

  • intelligence

    the ability to think and learn effectively

文法句型

idiocy (uncountable) — behaviour

an idiocy (countable) — a stupid act or remark

用法筆記

Commonly used with intensifying adjectives such as pure, sheer, utter, or absolute: 'It was sheer idiocy to drive home after drinking.' The countable form (an idiocy) is less frequent and refers to a single act or statement.

常見錯誤

❌The idiocy of this exam is very high.
✅This exam is idiotic.
💡idiocy describes behaviour or actions, not the quality of an object or difficulty level.
❌He committed an idiocy when he forgot the keys.
✅It was idiocy to forget the keys.' or 'Forgetting the keys was an act of idiocy.
💡'commit an idiocy' is unnatural; use 'act of idiocy' or describe the behaviour directly.

2. a now-offensive term for a state of very limited intellectual ability that preve

2.名詞C1
釋義

a now-offensive term for a state of very limited intellectual ability that prevents a person from managing basic daily life; this word was used in medical classification until the mid-20th century but is now replaced by terms such as 'profound intellectual disability.'

例句

In nineteenth-century medical texts, the word 'idiocy' was used to describe what is now called profound intellectual disability.

historical context — medical texts of the 1800s

The old hospital records classified the patient's condition as idiocy, a label that would be considered deeply offensive today.

archival/clinical register — now offensive

文法句型

idiocy (uncountable, historical medical term)

用法筆記

This sense is now considered offensive and derogatory. Do not use it to describe a person with intellectual disabilities. The preferred modern terms are 'intellectual disability' or 'developmental disability,' with severity specified as 'profound' or 'severe' as appropriate. The word 'idiocy' in this sense appears mainly in historical documents, older medical literature, and discussions of outdated classification systems.

常見錯誤

❌People with idiocy need special support.
✅People with profound intellectual disabilities need special support.
💡using 'idiocy' in this way is hurtful and outdated; always use the respectful modern terminology.