as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
trying to get that many people to agree on anything was pure idiocy
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Recent Examples of idiocy
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.
—
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Telling the story of the clashing egos and raging idiocy of the fictional Spinal Tap, Reiner both directed and starred as the filmmaker-within-the-film Marty DiBergi.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Harry and Finis refused to play Jack Donahoe’s game of commenting on every idiocy that came across their desks.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
Telling the story of the clashing egos and raging idiocy of the fictional Spinal Tap, Reiner both directed and starred as the filmmaker-within-the-film Marty DiBergi.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
Advertisement Aster keenly satirizes Joe’s idiocy in the face of social upheaval through the iconography of Westerns.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idiocy
Noun
-
Repeal this insanity and restore order to our streets!—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Defense attorneys hoped to convince the jury that Gacy was not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Amid these absurdities, Manuel coaxes out the cruelty of the resort’s hierarchies.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
-
She’s built a career on candid takes about relationships, work and the absurdities of everyday life, delivered with her trademark mix of bluntness and charm.—
Travis Pinson,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Which is much worse than plain old stupidity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Idiocy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idiocy. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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