wawau
1. (modifier) foolish, silly, misguided.
Ngutu pī: He waha kōrero wawau; mō ngā mea kōrero rorirori; he mea whakarite ki te pī manu (JPS 1929:48). / Babbler: A person who talks rubbish; for the ones who talk about trivial matters; they are compared to chicks.
Synonyms: pōhēhē, whakaheahea, rare, hārangi, heahea, tīhohehohe, rūrūwai, whakarorirori, ngā mahi a te hore
2. (noun) foolishness, stupidity, idiocy, folly, foolhardiness.
Waihoki, me kī atu e mātou, nā te apo, nā te ngākau kino, nā te wawau o te tangata, i ngoikore ai te tupu o te ōki o Ingarangi (MM.TKM 30/8/1856:4). / We must also tell how the greed, the cruelty, and the folly of people stunted the growth of the English oak.
3. (noun) foolish person, idiot, fool, moron, nincompoop, halfwit.
Nā te kūare rāua ko te wawau noa iho tērā mahi, te pōti mō taua tangata. / Only ignorant people and fools would vote for that man.
Synonyms: poroheahea, pōrewarewa, ngoungoua
