asinine

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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/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (AU)(file)

Adjective

asinine (comparative more asinine, superlative most asinine)

  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

Related terms

Translations

French

Pronunciation

Adjective

asinine

  1. feminine singular of asinin

Italian

Adjective

asinine

  1. feminine plural of asinino

Anagrams

Latin

Adjective

asinīne

  1. vocative masculine singular of asinīnus
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