debils

Ultimately borrowed from Latin dēbilis (“weak; lame”), via some other European language.

• IPA^(key): [debils]

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): [debiːls]

• Audio:

  (file)

debils (definite debilais, comparative debilāks, superlative visdebilākais, adverb debili)

1. moron, mentally retarded (having impaired mental development)

   debils bērns ― mentally retarded child

   Itālijā skolotāja liek skolniekam rakstīt, ka viņš ir debils ― in Italy a teacher made a schoolboy write that he was mentally retarded

2. (colloquial, offensive) moronic, stupid, foolish

   Andris Kivičs nosauc Uldi Rudaku par debilu ― Andris Kivičs called Uldis Rudaks a moron

   debils jautājums ― stupid, moronic question

   tas ir vecs un debils stereotips ― this is an old, stupid stereotype

In its colloquial uses, perhaps under the influence of the pronunciation of Russian деби́л (debíl, “moron”), this term is often misspelled as debīls, with a long ī.

• idiotisks
• imbecils

• debilitāte

debils

1. masculine plural of debil