טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ
tipéshmasculine
The Hebrew word for stupid is טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ (tipésh). If unsure, use טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ. Wiktionary also lists מטופש (metupásh).
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ | tipésh | masculine |
| מטופש | metupásh | masculine |
The term is used to describe someone or something lacking in intelligence.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the two forms provided. טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ describes a person's lack of intelligence. In contrast, מטופש is more commonly used to describe an action, a situation or an idea as being silly or foolish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective טיפש \ טִפֵּשׁ changes based on gender and number: the feminine singular is טיפשה, the masculine plural is טיפשים and the feminine plural is טיפשות. The adjective מטופש also follows these patterns, with the masculine plural being מטופשים and the feminine plural being מטופשות.
How do you pronounce it?
tipésh
What mistakes should you avoid?
Note that the word משוגע (mishugah) technically means "crazy," but it is often used informally to describe someone who is acting foolishly.
Did you know?
- In modern Hebrew slang, the word סתומי (stumî), meaning 'plugged' or 'blocked', is frequently used as a synonym for טיפש to describe someone who is slow to understand.
- While טיפש is the standard word for 'stupid', Israelis often use the word דביל (debîl) in casual speech, which is borrowed directly from the French 'débile'.
- In Hebrew, the word for 'stupid' can be used to create the term טיפשון (tipshon), which is a diminutive form often used to describe someone as 'a little bit' or 'cutely' foolish.
Examples in context
- זה באמת היה מטופש.That was really stupid.This sentence shows how to describe an action using מטופש.Tatoeba #2601880 by MrShoval, translation #2571068 by Hybrid
- זה פשוט נראה מטופש.It just seems stupid.This sentence demonstrates describing an appearance or state using מטופש.Tatoeba #5627342 by fekundulo, translation #4502016 by CK
- עד כמה זה מטופש מצדי!How stupid of me!This sentence shows how to express regret over a foolish action using מטופש.Tatoeba #2138789 by MrShoval, translation #255333 by CM
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
