Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A contemptible or detestable person.
  • noun A clumsy or socially inept person.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun pejorative, slang, vulgar an obnoxiously ignorant person; a fool.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[ass + hat (in reference to such expressions as to have one's head up one's ass).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the slang expression having one's head up one's ass, thus, wearing the ass as a hat. The term is extended to people who are clueless or bumbling, who don't understand what is going on.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Incredibly stupid Web neologism.

    January 2, 2007

  • Oh, but sometimes, it truly, truly fits :)

    January 2, 2007

  • I want to like this word. I really do.

    February 3, 2007

  • Are you sure this is a web neologism? It seems like it might come from Family Guy or something.

    February 3, 2007

  • http://www.mtannoyances.com/?p=341

    February 3, 2007

  • There's now a zeitgeist associated with asshat in the twitter community. Well, at least two of us!

    May 6, 2007

  • Reminds me of ass face from Waiting for Guffman. "I hate you, and I hate your ass face!"

    October 11, 2007

  • I used this word today, and my S.O. mentioned that someone at work said about a company they work with that it was a bastion of asshattery. I love that phrase in so many ways....

    March 6, 2008

  • Don't like.

    April 10, 2008

  • I much prefer the term assmarmot.

    April 10, 2008

  • Much better.

    April 10, 2008

  • A total tool. "Why did you do that? You're such an asshat."

    May 13, 2009

  • slang, derrogatory, possibly one who has his head up his ass

    June 11, 2009