Standard Lemma guide

ninny

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈnɪni/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪni
  • CMU ARPABET: N IH1 N IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A silly or foolish person.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: simpleton, dummkopf, addle-brain, addlehead, addle pate, airhead, baboon, beanbrain, beetlebrain, beetlehead, berk, bimbo, birdbrain, blockhead, blubberbrain, bonehead, Boeotian, boob, bozo, brainlet, brickhead, bubblehead, bubble brain, bufflehead, buffoon, Charlie, chowderhead, chucklehead, chump, cittern-head, clod, clodpate, clot, clown, crackhead, cretin, cuckoo, deadhead, dimbo, dim bulb, dimbus, dimwit, dingbat, ding dong, dingleberry, dingwad, dip, dipstick, doldrum, dolt, donut, doodle, doof, doofoid, doofus, dope, dork, drivel, drongo, drool bucket, dullard, dumb bunny, dumbbell, dumb cluck, dumbhead, dumble, dumbling, dumbnut, dumbo, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, dunderpate, eejit, fathead, featherbrain, fenderhead, fleabrain, fool, fopdoodle, galoot, gimboid, gomer, gonk, goober, goof, goofball, goofy, goon, goose, goosecap, gorbuson, gudgeon, halfwit, ha'porth, hammerhead, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, inbred, jackaninny, jellybrain, jerk, juggins, jughead, knothead, knucklehead, lackwit, lamebrain, log, loggerhead, lummox, lunk, lunkhead, maroon, meatball, meathead, mental midget, mome, momo, mongoloid, mongtard, monkey, moron, mouth breather, muggins, mushhead, muttonhead, mutt, nimrod, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit, nitwit, noddy, noodlehead, numbskull, oaf, peabrain, peagoose, pillock, pigwidgeon, pinhead, plank, plonker, prat, put, putz, retard, sap, saphead, schmo, silly, simp, smooth brain, snapperhead, sot, space cadet, spanner, stupe, stupid, stupid-head, tard, thickhead, thickskull, thicko, tomfool, tonto, toolbox, tosspot, turkey, twit, wally, wantwit, wazzer, wazzock, witless wonder, yo-yo, zany, Vulgar:, ass, assclown, asshat, asshead, asstard, asswipe, buttbreath, dildo, dipshit, donkey dick, Alternative spelling of dumbass., dumbfuck, dumbfucker, dumbshit, farthead, fuck-knuckle, fucktard, fuckwit, jackass, peckerhead, shitbrain, shithead, shitneck, shitwit, twat

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a stupid foolish person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: nincompoop, poop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: simpleton, simple

History

Etymology

Unknown; the synonym ninnyhammer appears around the same time. Possibly related to innocent or Italian ninno (“small child”).

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: trouba — a silly or foolish person
  • Czech: moula — a silly or foolish person
  • Czech: pitomec — a silly or foolish person
  • Finnish: nynny — a silly or foolish person
  • Finnish: nysverö — a silly or foolish person
  • German: Dummkopf — a silly or foolish person
  • German: Idiot — a silly or foolish person
  • Greek: κουτορνίθι (koutorníthi) — a silly or foolish person
  • Latin: mastrūca — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: prost — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: prostănac — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: găgăuță — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: tont — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: neghiob — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: gogoman — a silly or foolish person
  • Romanian: idiot — a silly or foolish person
  • Russian: ню́ня (njúnja) — a silly or foolish person
  • Slovak: trdlo — a silly or foolish person
  • Swedish: jöns — a silly or foolish person
  • Swedish: dumbom — a silly or foolish person