Chemtard
Chemtard (noun, slang) /ˈkɛm.tɑːd/ — A portmanteau of chemtrail and retard, this tongue-in-cheek pejorative is used online to describe someone who fervently believes that ordinary aircraft contrails are part of a secret government weather-control plot.
Often deployed in internet debates with a sigh and a raised eyebrow, it conjures the image of a lunatic armed with a YouTube video, a cell phone pointed skywards, a severe case of Dunning-Kruger and the unshakeable conviction that clouds are out to get them.
Often deployed in internet debates with a sigh and a raised eyebrow, it conjures the image of a lunatic armed with a YouTube video, a cell phone pointed skywards, a severe case of Dunning-Kruger and the unshakeable conviction that clouds are out to get them.

The term "Chemtard" was coined by Tony Simmons of Australia in a Facebook post in early 2025. While Mr. Simmons formally reserves all rights to the word, he cheerfully invites the world to wield it in its full, magnificent glory.
