Bimbo

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɪmbəʊ/

Definitions

1. A slang expression for a woman believed to be beautiful yet lacking smarts, this word indicates the societal stereotype associating attractiveness with a perceived intellectual deficit
2. A term used in informal speech to describe a woman who is seen as physically appealing but not very bright
3. An informal label for a woman regarded as good-looking but lacking in intelligence or depth

Etymology: The word began as a child's word in Italian. "Bimbo" is a variant of "bambino," meaning "child," and it was a male baby or small boy. It crossed into English through Italian American theater, where by 1919 it was used for a stupid, inconsequential man. The meaning of the word was so different from the original sense of a child that it's hard to see the connection without knowing this history. Within a year or so, the sense had shifted toward women. By 1920 it described a "floozie," an attractive but stupid woman. The change is credited to Jack Conway, a writer for the entertainment magazine Variety in the 1920s, who also helped popularize "baloney" for nonsense and "palooka" for a large, stupid man. These were the sort of colorful, slangy words that Variety's writers liked to coin and spread. The word then faded from common use and came back in the 1980s, when it was used in American political sex scandals. That revival gave it the sharp, mocking edge it carries today.

Synonyms: fool, dimwit, dunce

Antonyms: intellect, genius