bimbo: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Informal, Derogatory, Slang
Quick answer
What does “bimbo” mean?
A person, especially a young woman, who is attractive but perceived as unintelligent or superficial.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person, especially a young woman, who is attractive but perceived as unintelligent or superficial.
A derogatory term for someone (male or female) who acts in a foolish or vacuous manner, particularly in media or public life; also a term used in politics for an inexperienced or incompetent person (less common).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The word is widely understood in both varieties, though the early 20th-century revival of the term is largely attributed to American popular culture.
Connotations
Equally derogatory in both varieties.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English media due to its origins, but commonly used in British tabloids and informal speech.
Grammar
How to Use “bimbo” in a Sentence
Noun phrase + be + bimboVerb + like + a bimboVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bimbo” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He made some bimbo remark about her shoes.
- It was a bimbo comment, really.
American English
- She's tired of the bimbo roles they keep offering her.
- That's such a bimbo thing to say.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Highly inappropriate and offensive. Would constitute harassment.
Academic
Not used except in critical discourse analysis, gender studies, or media studies as a term to be deconstructed.
Everyday
Used informally but is a serious insult. Often heard in gossip, media criticism, or pejoratively.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bimbo”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bimbo”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bimbo”
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Assuming it is a playful or harmless term.
- Using it to describe a man (now very archaic).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historically, yes, in early 20th-century American slang. Today, it is almost exclusively used for women and would be very unusual and archaic if applied to a man.
Almost never in mainstream use. However, there is a niche reclamation movement online (e.g., 'bimbofication') where some individuals adopt the aesthetic and term subversively.
It is a deeply sexist and offensive term that reduces a person, typically a woman, to a stereotype of being attractive but stupid. Its use perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes and is considered verbal harassment in professional settings.
'Ditz' suggests clumsiness and forgetfulness more than a calculated lack of intelligence, and is slightly less focused on physical appearance. 'Bimbo' carries a stronger connotation of sexual objectification.
A person, especially a young woman, who is attractive but perceived as unintelligent or superficial.
Bimbo is usually informal, derogatory, slang in register.
Bimbo: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbɪm.bəʊ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɪm.boʊ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bimbo eruption (US politics slang: a scandalous revelation from a glamorous but unimportant person)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'BIM' as 'Beautiful In Mind?', but the 'BO' suggests a 'No' – a 'beautiful person but the answer is no on intelligence'.
Conceptual Metaphor
A PERSON IS AN EMPTY VESSEL / INTELLIGENCE IS WEIGHT (lightweight, airhead)
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the word 'bimbo' be MOST socially acceptable?