asinine

English

WOTD – 9 January 2008

Etymology

From Latin asinīnus (of a donkey or ass).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈæs.ɪ.naɪn/, /ˈæs.ə.naɪn/
  • (file)
  • (file)

Adjective

Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

  1. Very foolish; failing to exercise intelligence or judgement or rationality.
    Synonyms: foolish, obstinate
    • 1922, Michael Arlen, “2/2/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
      They danced on silently, softly. Their feet played tricks to the beat of the tireless measure, that exquisitely asinine blare which is England's punishment for having lost America.
  2. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of donkeys.
    Synonym: donkeyish
    • 1881, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, The Ingenious Knight: Don Quixote de la Mancha, page 84:
      Don Quixote had put himself but a little way ayont the village of Don Diego, when he encountered two apparent priests, or students, and two husbandmen, who came mounted on four asinine beasts.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /a.zi.nin/
  • Homophone: asinines

Adjective

Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

  1. feminine singular of asinin

Italian

Adjective

Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

  1. feminine plural of asinino

Anagrams

Latin

Adjective

Lua error in Module:utilities at line 142: attempt to perform arithmetic on local 'h' (a nil value)

  1. vocative masculine singular of asinīnus
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.