zonzo

Italian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ^*/ˈd͡zon.d͡zo/
• Rhymes: -ondzo
• Hyphenation: zón‧zo

Adverb

zonzo

1. only used in andare a zonzo

Spanish

Alternative forms

• sonso

Etymology

Cfr. soso.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθonθo/ [ˈθõn̟.θo] (Spain)
• IPA^(key): /ˈsonso/ [ˈsõn.so] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -onθo (Spain)
• Rhymes: -onso (Latin America, Philippines)
• Syllabification: zon‧zo

Adjective

zonzo (feminine zonza, masculine plural zonzos, feminine plural zonzas)

1. silly; stupid

Noun

zonzo m (plural zonzos, feminine zonza, feminine plural zonzas)

1. dumdum; dunce

Usage notes

• Although in some contexts zonzo, bobo, tonto, menso, culero, tarado, idiota, imbécil, estúpido and pendejo may be synonyms, in most contexts they have a different degree of intensity, with zonzo having the mildest connotation, increasing in intensity in that rough order, to estúpido and pendejo, which have the most offensive meaning.

Descendants

• → Portuguese: sonso

Further reading

• “zonzo”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024