What does "booby" mean?
A stupid person.
Booby
/ˈbuːbi/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A stupid person.
- Grammar: booby is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: also ran, also-ran, asshole, bag.
- Useful contrasts: clever, clever person, genius.
- Usage evidence: Ziri found a few booby traps in the area.
How to use "booby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "booby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "booby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "booby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "booby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "booby" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "also ran" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "booby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A stupid person.
"A Frenchman, in his own Country, would dress a fine Dinner of twenty Dishes, and all genteel and pretty, for the Expence he will put an English Lord to for dressing one Dish. But then there is the little petty Profit. [...] So much is the blind Folly of this Age, that they would rather be impos'd on by a French Booby, than give Encouragement to a good English Cook!"
- 2 A breast. childish, colloquial
"At ten o’clock she was lying on the divan with her boobies in her hands."
- 3 small tropical gannet having a bright bill or bright feet or both wordnet
- 4 Any of various large tropical seabirds from the genera Sula and Papasula in the family Sulidae, traditionally considered to be stupid.
"At which time, ſome Boobyes, weary of flight, made our Ship their pearch, an animall ſo ſimple as ſuffers any to take her without feare, as if a ſtupid ſenſe made her careleſſe of danger..."
- 5 an ignorant or foolish person wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 In the game of croquet, a ball that has not passed through the first wicket.
"A booby may displace another booby or a bridged ball by roquet, ricochet, or concussion."
Verb
- 1 To behave stupidly; to act like a booby. intransitive, rare
"Who lounge and who loot, and who booby about, / No knowledge within, and no manners without;"
- 2 To install a booby trap on or at (something); to attack (someone) with a booby trap. transitive
"Self Boobied. Donald E. Campbell of Merritt Island, Fla., accidentally tripped on one of the shotgun shell booby traps he had installed"
Adjective
- 1 Stupid; unintelligent. obsolete, slang
"When we arrived at the houſe, I was in the utmoſt confuſion; for the booby ſervants ſtood gaping and grinning at my diſtreſs, and Sir Sampſson himſelf told me, with a laugh as horrible as Caliban's, that he would lend me one of his maids to carry me out airing every morning."
- 2 Displaying breasts prominently. informal
"If it's too tight, I don't want the fat coming out heeya?' She points to the danger spot, where upper arm brushes against glorious bosom, and the top of a strapless dress can cut an unsightly line. 'Am I very booby? Do I look very chesty?'"
- 3 Having large breasts. informal
"Can I borrow your pink lacey bra? Why? You're like three sizes boobier than me?"
Example
"Ziri found a few booby traps in the area."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "booby"?
Common synonyms include: also ran, also-ran, asshole, bag, bird, blockhead.
How do you use "booby" in a sentence?
Ziri found a few booby traps in the area.
How do you pronounce "booby"?
Pronounced /ˈbuːbi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
17th century. From Spanish bobo, from Latin balbus (“stammering”). (bird): Compare typologically Translingual Morus, German Tölpel, Polish głuptak (akin to głupek), Russian о́луша (óluša) (akin to о́лух (ólux)).
Etymology 2
From the earlier form bubby.
Etymology 3
From boob + -y.