half-wit vs simpleton

half-wit and simpleton both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
half-wit	Yes	No	No	No
simpleton	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, simpleton is a hypernym of half-wit; that is, simpleton is a word with a broader meaning than half-wit:

Other hypernyms of half-wit include simple.

As nouns, simpleton is a hypernym of half-wit; that is, simpleton is a word with a broader meaning than half-wit:

Other hypernyms of half-wit include simple.

half-wit (noun)	simpleton (noun)
a stupid incompetent person	a person lacking intelligence or common sense
a person of subnormal intelligence