What does "loon" mean?
A crazy or deranged person; a lunatic.
Loon
/ˈluːn/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A crazy or deranged person; a lunatic.
- Grammar: loon is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: diver, addle-head, addlehead, aliene.
- Useful contrasts: mammal, reasonable person, reptile.
- Usage evidence: Because there's a red-throated loon on the coin.
How to use "loon"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "loon" 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 "loon" 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 "loon" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "loon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- 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 "loon" is acting as name, noun, 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 "diver" 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.
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Final meaning check
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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 crazy or deranged person; a lunatic. slang
"An electric fire came next, followed by an umbrella and then a colander. "This bowl will carry no water," he muttered. "Some loon hath pierced it with holes.""
- 2 Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes, of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry. Canada, US
"The Loone is an ill ſhap'd thing like a Cormorant; but that he can neyther goe nor flye; he maketh a noiſe ſometimes like a Sovvgelders horne."
- 3 large somewhat primitive fish-eating diving bird of the Northern Hemisphere having webbed feet placed far back; related to the grebes wordnet
- 4 An idler, a lout. obsolete
"The diuell damne thee blacke, thou cream-fac'd Loone: Where got'ſt thou that Gooſe-looke."
- 5 a worthless lazy fellow wordnet
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 A boy, a lad. Scotland, Ulster
- 7 a person with confused ideas; incapable of serious thought wordnet
- 8 A harlot; mistress. Scotland
- 9 A simpleton. Scotland
- 10 An English soldier of an expeditionary army in Ireland. Ireland, historical
- 11 A round area of pavement that protrudes from one side of a road to accommodate turning vehicles with a wide turning circle.
Proper Noun
- 1 A municipality of Bohol, Philippines.
Example
"Because there's a red-throated loon on the coin."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "loon"?
Common synonyms include: diver, addle-head, addlehead, aliene, atlas, bedlamite.
How do you use "loon" in a sentence?
Because there's a red-throated loon on the coin.
How do you pronounce "loon"?
Pronounced /ˈluːn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English louen, lowen (“rascal; rogue”), probably of Middle Dutch or Middle Low German origin. Compare Dutch loen (“simpleton”). Or, related to etymology 2, due to the bird's loud cry. Folk etymology associates it slang-wise with lunatic, though the latter may have influenced it; see loony.
Etymology 2
Of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse lómr (“loon”), ultimately imitative of the bird's cry, particularly when it's in danger. Distantly related to lament, probably sharing Proto-Indo-European *leh₂- (expressive root).