scemo
What does “scemo” mean in English?
It means fool, referring to someone who is silly or stupid. It can be used affectionately or with serious contempt, depending on the context.
Literally “fool”
It's similar to calling someone a 'dumbass' in English and is often used as a direct insult. The tone can vary from playful teasing to outright disdain.
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Related Italian words
balordo
2/5 · CoarseIt's an insult used to call someone a fool or a scoundrel, implying they're unreliable or not to be trusted.
cacciapalle
2/5 · CoarseIt's an insult for someone who tells lies or exaggerates stories, essentially calling them a bullshitter. The term combines elements that imply someone is a nuisance or bothersome.
cozza
2/5 · CoarseIt refers to someone who is considered unattractive, using the imagery of a mussel as the basis for the insult.
cretino
2/5 · CoarseIt means fool or idiot, used to insult someone's intelligence. It's a modern term that doesn't relate to any medical diagnosis.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via FlacSy/BadWords (MIT AND CC-BY-4.0). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.