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Definition of knucklehead

knucklehead

/ˈnʌk.əlˌhɛd/
knuck · le · head
Plural:knuckleheads
•
Adjective:knuckleheaded
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knucklehead Lexical Profile

knucklehead Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A foolish, inept, or stubbornly stupid person.

Example

"The coach scolded the players for acting like a bunch of knuckleheads during practice."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for knucklehead
Antonyms
View all antonyms for knucklehead

• Nearby Words

knuckleball
knucklebone
knuckleduster
knucklehead
knuckleheaded
knurled
ko

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in mid-20th-century American slang as a compound of "knuckle" and "head," implying a skull as hard and dense as bone, on the pattern of earlier terms like "blockhead" and "bonehead."

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Knucklehead. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/knucklehead
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