pinhead
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The head of a pin: The very small, often rounded end of a pin.
- An ignorant or foolish person: (Informal, derogatory) A person who is perceived as stupid or lacking intelligence.
Usage Examples
Literal meaning (head of a pin):
- The inscription was so tiny it could fit on a pinhead.
- Under the microscope, the dust particle looked larger than a pinhead.
Figurative meaning (foolish person):
- Don't listen to him; he's a complete pinhead when it comes to politics.
- Only a real pinhead would try to fix that without turning off the power first.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used for emphasis in similes describing something very small.
- The chance of that happening is about as likely as finding a specific grain of sand on a beach the size of a pinhead.
- As an insult, it implies not just foolishness but also a lack of common sense or critical thinking.
Variants and Related Words
- Pinheaded (adjective): Stupid or foolish.
- That was a pinheaded thing to do.
- Pin (noun): A short, thin piece of metal with a sharp point and a round head, used for fastening.
- Needlepoint (noun): The craft of sewing on canvas, distinct from the literal "point of a needle."
Synonyms
- Literal: Dot, speck, point.
- Figurative (foolish person): Fool, idiot, dunce, simpleton, dolt, nitwit.
Antonyms
- Figurative (foolish person): Genius, intellectual, sage, scholar.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- On the head of a pin / On a pinhead: Used to describe an extremely small space or area.
- Philosophers once debated how many angels could dance on the head of a pin.
- Not have a pinhead of sense: To have no common sense or intelligence at all.
- He doesn't have a pinhead of sense when it comes to managing money.
Noun
- the head of a pin
- an ignorant or foolish person