ανόητος
anóitos/aˈno.i.tos/
The Greek word for silly is ανόητος (anóitos). Wiktionary also lists σαχλός (sachlós) and χαζός (chazós).
Meaning: foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom (adj)
Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ανόητος | anóitos | /aˈno.i.tos/ |
| σαχλός | sachlós | |
| χαζός | chazós | /xaˈzos/ |
These words describe someone who is foolish or showing a lack of good sense and wisdom.
Which one should you use?
ανόητος is the most standard and neutral way to say 'foolish' or 'stupid'. χαζός is more colloquial and often implies a person is 'silly' or 'slow-witted' rather than just making a foolish mistake. σαχλός is a more aggressive, informal term that leans closer to 'idiotic' or 'moronic'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of ανόητος is ανόητη, and its neuter form is ανόητο. For χαζός, the feminine form is χαζή and the neuter form is χαζό.
How do you pronounce it?
anóitos (/aˈno.i.tos/). It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word χαζός actually traces its roots back to Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, rather than being of ancient Greek origin.
- In Greek culture, calling someone χαζός in a playful, high-pitched tone can be a term of endearment between couples or toward children.
- While ανόητος is the standard term, Greeks often use the phrase έχει τα κεφάλια του μπερδεμένα to describe someone acting silly or confused.
Examples in context
- Η αλαζονεία του κατέστησε τα λόγια του αχρείους και γελοίους.His arrogance made his words pointless and silly.
- Αυτή η ταινία είναι πραγματικά διασκεδαστική, αλλά αρκετά ανόητη παράλληλα.This movie is really funny but also quite silly at the same time.
- Μην τον πιστεύεις, είναι ένας αληθινός απατεώνας και αρκετά γελοίος.Don't believe him, he is a real trickster and quite silly.
Example conversation
Kostas and Anastasia are discussing a plan to walk home in the rain.
- Κώστας KostasΑς πάμε τώρα χωρίς ομπρέλες!As pame tora choris ombreles!Let's go now without umbrellas!
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΚώστα, είσαι ανόητος που το λες αυτό.Kosta, eisai anoïtos pou to lees afto.Kostas, you are silly for saying that.
- Κώστας KostasΑπλά ήθελα να διασκεράσουμε λίγο.Aplá ithela na diaskerasoume ligo.I just wanted to have some fun.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΘα πάθουμε κρύο όλοι μας.Tha patheme kryo oloi mas.We will all get cold.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silly” translations and entries ανόητος, χαζός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ανόητος, χαζός, CC BY-SA 4.0.
