Peter Guber

My mom used to tell me stories at night, read books to me - and I read 'em over and over and over again. And you know what I learned from that? I went back and looked at everything - Why do I like reading the same stories over and over and over again? What, was I some kind of nincompoop? No - the narrative gave me connection with my mom.

American Producer

Roger Waters

Because a lot of people are hurting economically and being shafted by the very wealthy, it's been possible here in the United States of America to organize them and persuade them that to elect a nincompoop like Donald Trump is actually in their best interest. When clearly it isn't.

British Musician

Seymour Hersh

I have this sort of heuristic view that journalism, we possibly offer hope because the world is clearly run by total nincompoops more than ever... Not that journalism is always wonderful - it's not - but at least we offer some way out, some integrity.

American Journalist

Kristin Scott Thomas

I mean, if you're being directed very precisely by somebody who has admiration and who's really smart, it's great. If you're being told what to do by a nincompoop - and luckily that hasn't happened very often - it can be very frustrating.

English Actress

Harry Anderson

I created this character that I still have of a guy who is a little bit of a nincompoop - I'm poking fun at street hustlers. I didn't quite make as much money as one would gambling, but it was a lot safer.

American Actor

Molly Ivins

Am I the only person covering politics who ever noticed that Newt Gingrich is actually a nincompoop?

Zoe Ball

Nincompoop is such a brilliantly satisfying word.

‘Nincompoop’ is casual and often humorous. Not suited for formal situations.

Colloquial Use

Expresses annoyance or playful teasing, but isn't a harsh insult.

Mild Insult

Be aware it's an old-fashioned term and might not be widely understood by young people.