imbecility
noun
im·be·cil·i·ty ˌim-bə-ˈsi-lə-tē 
plural imbecilities
1
a
: the quality or state of being very stupid or foolish : utter foolishness
… it seemed a very odd business, filled with illusions and delusions, at times noble to the point of imbecility and at other times base to the point of amorality.
Colleen McCullough
Colleen McCullough also : futility
b
: something that is foolish or nonsensical
… his satire on the imbecilities and greed of politicians … Nicholas Von Hoffman
Nicholas Von Hoffman2
dated, now offensive, see usage paragraph below : the condition of being affected with moderate intellectual disability
Synonyms
- absurdity
- asininity
- bêtise
- fatuity
- folly
- foolery
- foppery
- idiocy
- inanity
- insanity
- lunacy
- stupidity
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
was arrested for the sheer imbecility of speeding down a dark road with no headlights on we were stunned by the imbecility of the ideas presented by this once-respected biologist
Word History
Etymology
Middle English imbecillite "weakness of a body part, infirmity," borrowed from Middle French and Latin; Middle French imbecillité "weakness, feebleness, intellectual deficiency," borrowed from Latin imbēcillitāt-, imbēcillitās "physical or intellectual weakness," from imbēcillus "physically weak, feeble" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at imbecile entry 2
First Known Use
1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
imbecility
noun
1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea was arrested for the sheer imbecility of speeding down a dark road with no headlights on Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- insanity
- idiocy
- stupidity
- absurdity
- madness
- inanity
- foppery
- lunacy
- folly
- bêtise
- fatuity
- asininity
- foolery
- buffoonery
- craziness
- witlessness
- foolishness
- blunder
- absurdness
- tomfoolery
- twaddle
- nonsense
- senselessness
- inaneness
- drivel
- bungle
- shenanigan(s)
- monkeyshine(s)
- humbug
- flub
- goof
- howler
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sagacity
- wisdom
- discretion
- prudence
- forethought
- inspiration
- brainstorm
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment we were stunned by the imbecility of the ideas presented by this once-respected biologist Synonyms & Similar Words
- insanity
- madness
- absurdity
- simplicity
- fatuousness
- foolishness
- unwisdom
- inanity
- witlessness
- lunacy
- craziness
- stupidity
- daftness
- fatuity
- folly
- preposterousness
- brainlessness
- idiocy
- silliness
- stupidness
- zaniness
- asininity
- wackiness
- dottiness
- nuttiness
- senselessness
- feeblemindedness
- obtuseness
- nonsensicalness
- oafishness
- balminess
- irrationality
- mindlessness
- dullness
- dulness
- unreasonableness
- dumbness
- slowness
- dopiness
- simplemindedness
- ridiculousness
- simpleness
- dippiness
- vacuity
- denseness
- ludicrousness
- fallacy
- kookiness
- doltishness
- weirdness
- gormlessness
- dim-wittedness
- laughableness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sagacity
- prudence
- sanity
- soundness
- wisdom
- rationality
- sapience
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- validity
- sagaciousness
- logicality
- reasonability
- perception
- insight
- discernment
- sageness
- percipience
- logicalness
- rationalness