The word "nincompoop" has certainly earned its ranking as one of the most enjoyable words to pronounce in the English language, regardless of the fact that no one quite knows how or when it was coined. Essentially, a nincompoop is a fool, a stupid person whose incompetence or naïveté is quite apparent. It is often used to describe people of a much lower social ranking, although some may describe an unpopular or incompetent leader as an "utter nincompoop." For others, the word nincompoop could be used interchangeably with other pejoratives such as "nimrod," "ninny" or "numb skull." In military circles, an incompetent non-commissioned officer may be called a "noncompoop".