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Italian · Insults

Cretino!

kray-TEE-no · /kreˈti.no/

Idiot / moron

2/5 Bar-safe

coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances

Literally

"Cretin / idiot"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

The polite-ish idiot — schoolteacher-grade scolding, milder than "coglione." Along with "imbecille," "scemo," and "deficiente," it's the tier you can use in front of kids or when you're exasperated but not enraged. "Non fare il cretino" = quit messing around.

Heard in the wild

Che cretino, ho sbagliato di nuovo.

What an idiot, I got it wrong again.

Where it lands

Universal across Italy

Quick answers

What does "Cretino!" mean?
In Italian, "Cretino!" means "Idiot / moron". Literally it's "Cretin / idiot". The polite-ish idiot — schoolteacher-grade scolding, milder than "coglione." Along with "imbecille," "scemo," and "deficiente," it's the tier you can use in front of kids or when you're exasperated but not enraged. "Non fare il cretino" = quit messing around.
Is "Cretino!" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
How do you pronounce "Cretino!"?
Say it "kray-TEE-no" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kreˈti.no.

Related in Italian

Vaffanculo! vah-fahn-KOO-lo Fuck off! / Go to hell! Stronzo! STRON-tso Asshole! / Bastard! Coglione! kol-YO-nay Idiot / dumbass / sucker Testa di cazzo! TESS-tah dee KAHT-tso Dickhead / stupid asshole Figlio di puttana! FEEL-yo dee poot-TAH-nah Son of a bitch! Cornuto! kor-NOO-to Cuckold — your partner is cheating on you

The same idea, elsewhere

Via concepts like "You idiot".

how to say "You idiot" →

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