feather-pate
Definition
- Noun (archaic, rare):
- A foolish or silly person: "feather-pate" refers to someone considered to have a light, empty, or frivolous mind, akin to having feathers where brains should be. This term is used derogatorily to describe a person who is perceived as stupid or lacking in intelligence.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- He was dismissed as a mere feather-pate, incapable of understanding the complexities of the argument. (A foolish person unable to grasp a serious discussion.)
- The court jester was often called a feather-pate, but his jokes held hidden wisdom. (A silly person, though the term is used playfully here.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be a feather-pate": to be habitually foolish or scatterbrained.
- She accused him of being a feather-pate after he forgot the meeting for the third time. (She called him a fool for repeated forgetfulness.)
Variants and Related Words
Feather-pated (adj): having a light, frivolous, or foolish mind.
- His feather-pated remarks at the ceremony embarrassed everyone. (His silly comments caused embarrassment.)
Featherhead (n): a synonym for a foolish or giddy person.
- Don't listen to that featherhead; he has no idea what he is talking about. (A foolish person.)
Synonyms
- Simpleton: a person lacking in intelligence or common sense.
- Nincompoop: a stupid or silly person.
- Blockhead: a stubbornly stupid person.
Related Idioms
A feather brain: a person with a light, empty mind; similar to "feather-pate."
- He is a feather brain who can't focus on any task for more than five minutes. (A scatterbrained individual.)
Light as a feather (of the mind): describing someone's thinking as trivial or unserious.
- Her opinions are light as a feather, changing with every breeze. (Her thoughts are frivolous and inconsistent.)