1
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the movie follows the harebrained antics of a pair of stoners who seem incapable of growing up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a harebrained idea to go for a hike in an area where grizzly bear attacks had recently been reported
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harebrained
In Dog Man, after a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but life-saving surgery fuses them together and Dog Man is born.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025
Reynolds thrived in front of a live studio audience, playing a college-age rascal who was more interested in messing with his friends and pursuing harebrained schemes than deciding on a major.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
But that scheme is a bit harebrained, because the explosions would also introduce deadly radioactive material into the air.
—Sven Bilén, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2024
However, there is a certain charm to the harebrained things that got greenlit in the age of Aqua Net and leg warmers.
—Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 20 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2025
Reynolds thrived in front of a live studio audience, playing a college-age rascal who was more interested in messing with his friends and pursuing harebrained schemes than deciding on a major.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
But that scheme is a bit harebrained, because the explosions would also introduce deadly radioactive material into the air.
—Sven Bilén, Discover Magazine, 17 July 2024
However, there is a certain charm to the harebrained things that got greenlit in the age of Aqua Net and leg warmers.
—Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 20 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harebrained
Adjective
-
Comments Since Sesame Street first began airing in 1969, children have loved it thanks to the goofy, kind, funny, affectionate Muppets—including Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the residents of the neighborhood.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Pair over Bluetooth, drop a shot into the app, add a collage frame or goofy sticker, and in half a minute, a wide-format print pops out.—
Shubham Yewale,
PC Magazine,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The idea of the Nuggets claiming three more games in this series with Michael Porter Jr. scoring three points — on Denver’s first basket, no less — is foolish.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The first three days of the season took care of such foolish rookie thoughts and proved to be a humbling, but learning, experience.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But many will, in situations where they’re allowed to stretch out, go deep, get silly, or eat hot wings while trying to answer questions.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
-
Have a Dance Party Clear the furniture, cue up a playlist with all of Mom's favorite hits (and a few silly, kid-friendly jams), and let loose.—
Laura Broadwell,
Parents,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
Making stupid internet fodder has never been easier than now, with the prevalence of AI image generators making everything from deepfakes to memes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Much like the stupid prions wreaking havoc in his brain.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
These results, though significant, don’t necessarily mean that efforts to effectively mitigate deepfakes are futile.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
30 Apr. 2025
-
The similarly futile attempts to portray John Walker as a flawed but good man, despite his callous rage and murderous tendencies?—
Nola Pfau,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But Stewart lived at the top of their board when on the clock at No. 17 — not just because of his 10.0 Relative Athletic Score or absurd combine workout.—
Paul Dehner Jr.,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
-
This week’s episode tackles the minefield of casting, as execs melt down over the racial politics of casting their absurd Kool-Aid tentpole.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
-
The virtuoso sequence that will generate giddy excitement among enthusiasts of Evans’ earlier films is an extended bout of killing and maiming in a nightclub where techno music keeps thumping as bodies keep dropping.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Here are the numbers that got Wall Street giddy: Revenue came in at $10.54 billion, up almost 13% YoY Operating margin hit 31.8%, up from 28.1% last year EPS grew nearly 25% And all this as the rest of tech stumbles around blaming tariffs and macro gloom.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Gotta start earlier, and maybe involve OG mad Bridges more.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Told the victim was mad because the suspect stepped on his shoes, Torre said the right thing to do would have been to wipe his shoes clean and walk away.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share