booby

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Stupid; unintelligent.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

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.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “booby” mean?

Stupid; unintelligent.

Is “booby” formal or informal?

booby is generally slang.