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tonto

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tonto¹

Where it comes from

Borrowed from Spanish tonto (“stupid, foolish; idiot, fool”), of uncertain etymology. Originally in US use but now chiefly British. Cf. earlier Tonto, with which it is sometimes confused.

noun tontos

  1. slang Synonym of idiot: someone who is foolish or stupid. Even us tontos figured that one out.

    Similar: idiot

adjective more tonto · most tonto

  1. offensive, possibly, slang Synonym of crazy. He told the businessmen that the law that required the certification by the President was ‘tonto’.

    Similar: crazy

tonto²

noun

  1. uncountable a traditional Ugandan fermented beverage made from bananas

Tonto³

Where it comes from

From Spanish tonto (“fool, idiot”), the Spanish name for the tribe, a calque of Western Apache kounʼnde (“wild rough people”). The fictional character (described as Comanche or Potawatomi) either from Potawatomi [Term?] or named after Tonto Basin, Arizona.

proper noun

  1. The Native American sidekick of the Lone Ranger.
  2. A member of the Tonto Apaches.

noun Tontos

  1. A sidekick. Salespeople may see themselves as Lone Rangers, not in need of any help, save for the occasional advice from a Tonto (or technical sales specialist).
  2. A Native American who accepts a subservient position to a white person. They called Indians like him — that is, any Indian who tried to make it by working within the system — a "Tonto."

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MLA

"tonto." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tonto. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

tonto. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tonto

Chicago

"tonto." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tonto.

BibTeX
@misc{tonto_2026,
  title = {tonto},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tonto},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}