im´be|cile|ly

im|be|cile «IHM buh suhl», noun, adjective.

–n.

1. a person born with such a weak mind that he can be trained to do only very simple tasks and will probably never learn to read; person who develops beyond the mental age of three but not beyond the mental age of eight. An imbecile is almost an idiot.

2. a very stupid or foolish person. SYNONYM(S): See syn. under fool. (Cf. ↑fool)

–adj.

1. very weak in mind; lacking normal intelligence.

2. very stupid or foolish. SYNONYM(S): idiotic, fatuous.

3. weak; feeble: »

His stunted nature and imbecile frame (Shelley).

╂[< Middle French imbécile, learned borrowing from Latin imbēcillus weak < in- without + bacillus small staff (diminutive) < baculum staff, walking stick]

–im´be|cile|ly, adverb.