Meaning

(derogatory) A fool, an idiot..

Definitions by Sense

1. (derogatory) A fool, an idiot.
2. (derogatory) A jerk.
3. The penis.
4. (slang, intransitive) To waste time.
5. A decoration or ornament in the Nativity tradition, usually placed under a Christmas tree.
6. (US, Pennsylvania, intransitive) To go around viewing the putzes in the neighborhood.

Example Sentences

“The excitement of our friendship made me overlook my vampire powers.” “Hi.” “My foreskin grew back very fast. Now he thinks I'm meshuggener, which means he thinks I'm a little bit of a putz.”

And, (4), we’re not really even seeing “characters” at all: it’s not Major Frank Burns, pathetic self-important putz from Fort Wayne, Indiana; it’s Larry Linville of Ojai, California, actor stoic enough to endure thousands of letters (still coming in, even in syndication) from pseudo-voyeurs berating him for being a putz from Indiana.

Stop putzing around.

The American custom of erecting a putz seems to have originated with the Moravians but the custom long ago spread to non-Moravian households. Essentially, the putz is a landscape, built on the floor or on a table or portable platform.

Once all good Moravians in Bethlehem went putzing between Christmas and Twelfth Night to take a look at their friends' cribs.

Everyone in the Moravian settlements goes putzing, visiting others' works of art.

One Christmas custom that was very much the rage in the last years of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth, was the putzing party. In the days when there were many putzes built in Bethlehem private homes, it was the practice to organize groups to wander around and visit the families who had erected these wonderful Christmas displays.

Word Forms

• putzes
• putzing
• putzed
• Putz

Synonyms for putz

Related Words

When Should You Use Putz?

Use putz when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions