Meaning
idiot; lunatic
- foolish, crazy, or reckless person (insult)
- person suffering from clinical dementia (medical)
In a sentence
Quel demente ha tagliato la strada a tutti all'incrocio.
That idiot cut everyone off at the intersection.
Non fare il demente e indossa subito il casco prima di partire.
Don't be an idiot and put on your helmet right now before leaving.
Perché continui ad ascoltare quel demente invece di ragionare con la tua testa?
Why do you keep listening to that lunatic instead of thinking for yourself?
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| demente | singular |
| dementi | plural |
Usage notes
- Informal: used as a mild-to-moderate insult meaning 'idiot' or 'lunatic'.
- Identical forms for masculine and feminine singular; plural is 'dementi'.