Asinine
/ˈæsɪnaɪn/noun
Stupid, foolish, or annoyingly senseless.
Did you know?It comes from Latin asinus, “donkey,” and the same ancient root also gave English the word for a beast of burden—so the insult has always carried an animal-brained sting.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁éḱsos?
“No secure reconstruction is established for the donkey word in standard references.”
Latin
Latin
asinus
“donkey, ass”
Late Latin
Latin
asinīnus
“of or relating to a donkey”
Middle English
English
asinine
“pertaining to a donkey; later, stupid or foolish”
Modern English
English
asinine
“foolishly stupid or absurd”