Casualadjective
scemo
silly, dumb
Formal Equivalent
sciocco
Examples in Context
"Ma che scemo che sei! Mi hai fatto credere di aver perso il treno!"
"You're so silly! You made me think I missed the train!"
"Dai, non fare lo scemo, rispondimi seriamente."
"Come on, don't be silly, answer me seriously."
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Cultural Note
One of the most common playful insults in Italian. Between friends, 'scemo' is completely harmless and used daily — like calling someone 'silly' in English. However, saying it to a stranger or in a serious tone can be genuinely offensive. The key is context and tone: if you're laughing, it's fine.
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