variants
or schmoe
as in idiot
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Recent Examples of schmo
But even though Mickey 17 is set in outer space about 30 years from now, its hero isn’t that different from those found throughout Bong’s filmography: a working-class schmo.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
Doc Odd goes against protocol, though, and saves this schmo’s life a second time in one night.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Some poor schmo rotated 720 degrees sideways while losing both his skis and face planting onto the ice.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2024
By Stephanie Zacharek September 2, 2024 7:49 AM EDT
What separates a genius from the rest of us schmoes?
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Sep. 2024
This is a big hokey underdog story, but it’s told with a grit and realism that matches the era; Rocky’s just a good-hearted schmo from the neighborhood who doesn’t have the stomach to break thumbs for the mob but isn’t sure what else the world has for him either.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2024
The broad contours of his arc, from an ordinary schmo to a beloved TV star hobnobbing with celebrities and signing his own development deal, are as classic as Hollywood fairy tales get.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2023
When given a guitar by Bob Marley’s family, DJ Khaled acted a total schmo, displaying zero respect for fine hardwoods , and seemed to take himself seriously while doing it.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 7 Dec. 2023
When beautiful movie stars take the brave step of impersonating regular schmoes, with flawed physiques and imperfectly proportioned appendages, praise and prizes often follow.
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2023
David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2025
Doc Odd goes against protocol, though, and saves this schmo’s life a second time in one night.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Some poor schmo rotated 720 degrees sideways while losing both his skis and face planting onto the ice.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Sep. 2024
By Stephanie Zacharek September 2, 2024 7:49 AM EDT
What separates a genius from the rest of us schmoes?
—Stephanie Zacharek, TIME, 2 Sep. 2024
This is a big hokey underdog story, but it’s told with a grit and realism that matches the era; Rocky’s just a good-hearted schmo from the neighborhood who doesn’t have the stomach to break thumbs for the mob but isn’t sure what else the world has for him either.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2024
The broad contours of his arc, from an ordinary schmo to a beloved TV star hobnobbing with celebrities and signing his own development deal, are as classic as Hollywood fairy tales get.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Dec. 2023
When given a guitar by Bob Marley’s family, DJ Khaled acted a total schmo, displaying zero respect for fine hardwoods , and seemed to take himself seriously while doing it.
—Jonathan Rowe, SPIN, 7 Dec. 2023
When beautiful movie stars take the brave step of impersonating regular schmoes, with flawed physiques and imperfectly proportioned appendages, praise and prizes often follow.
—Jody Rosen, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for schmo
Noun
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Shura said that Novikov treated him with disgust, carrying himself like a kham—a jackass.—
Joshua Yaffa,
The New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2025
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To the show’s credit, Rick isn’t a simple bummer or jackass.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The groper was a lowlife—a deranged doctor, bent on harvesting astronaut semen for pernicious procreative ends.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2025
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Ever since 2008’s Taken opened up a surprisingly durable late-career reinvention for Liam Neeson as a taciturn action star of tough-guy dad thrillers, frequently dispatching lowlifes who mess with his family, it’s become the norm to expect more of the same.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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As boss, Patrick Kramer eschews the oily portrayal of some to make his Franklin Hart a straight-up dolt.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
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But Joel and Ethan invest in other characters’ stories more — specifically, Josh Brolin’s conflicted fixer and Alden Ehrenreich’s anxious young actor — leaving Clooney to ham it up pleasantly as a forgettable dolt. 14.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The unfortunate wretch makes an exciting escape, killing her captor in the process.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2025
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As Blake transforms into a swollen, oozing wretch who gnaws frantically on his own wounds, his family appears as glowing-eyed aliens, their words a jumble of indecipherable sounds.—
Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Jane Austen wrote takedowns of this kind of ninny two centuries ago — how fun to see Pike update her twit to the post-Y2K era.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2024
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Kopas, who wisely eschews hamming, makes Frank a spry, eloquent presence, although more dourness in the play’s initial scenes might help his character stand out from the salon’s cheerful ninnies.—
Celia Wren,
Washington Post,
4 May 2023
Noun
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Giacomo Casanova, who lived from 1725 to 1798, was a lawyer, a writer, an adventurer, a gambler and a scoundrel who found himself on the wrong side of the law.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
The Denver Post,
20 Jan. 2025
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Now that movie’s writer-director, Leigh Whannell, has returned to bring another classic fiend into the 21st century, with Poor Things scoundrel Christopher Abbott as a family man who starts feeling a little hairy after a full-moon encounter at his childhood home.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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At one point, in the role of a former C.I.A. agent, Walter Lloyd, Hackman stubs a gun under the nose of a hapless nitwit from the agency who has been sent to protect Walter and his family.—
Anthony Lane,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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Stan Brooks: That’s the pumping-iron term for somebody who’s kind of a nitwit.—
Benjamin Naddaff-Hafrey,
Vulture,
18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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There is no silver lining to looking like a doofus.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
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The Carl Erskine problem Unfortunately, the doofus who put together the ballot (editor’s note: the newsletter author put together the ballot) forgot to include Carl Erskine in the actual ballot.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Schmo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schmo. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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