Tonto
adj, name, noun, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 Synonym of idiot: someone who is foolish or stupid. slang
"Even us tontos figured that one out."
- 2 a traditional Ugandan fermented beverage made from bananas uncountable
- 3 A sidekick.
"Salespeople may see themselves as Lone Rangers, not in need of any help, save for the occasional advice from a Tonto (or technical sales specialist)."
- 4 A Native American who accepts a subservient position to a white person.
"They called Indians like him — that is, any Indian who tried to make it by working within the system — a "Tonto.""
- 1 Synonym of crazy. offensive, possibly, slang
"He told the businessmen that the law that required the certification by the President was ‘tonto’."
- 1 The Native American sidekick of the Lone Ranger.
- 2 A member of the Tonto Apaches.
Example
More examples"Even us tontos figured that one out."
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish tonto (“stupid, foolish; idiot, fool”), of uncertain etymology. Originally in US use but now chiefly British. Cf. earlier Tonto, with which it is sometimes confused.
From Spanish tonto (“fool, idiot”), the Spanish name for the tribe, a calque of Western Apache kounʼnde (“wild rough people”). The fictional character (described as Comanche or Potawatomi) either from Potawatomi or named after Tonto Basin, Arizona.
Related phrases
More for "tonto"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.