Definition of brain-deadnext
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily it seems like she's always doing some brain-dead thing or another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 brain-dead The patient was brain-dead, and the procedure, which was performed in China, was a trial, but the organs — from a pig genetically modified to improve compatibility with human immune systems — were not immediately rejected. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 7 June 2026 Vargas Arellano was in a hospital, brain-dead and comatose for a week before ICE released him, and had contracted COVID-19 at the facility, according to his family and their lawyers, who are suing GEO Group over his death. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 5 June 2026 The sinus infection had turned into a rare condition known as Pott’s puffy tumor, which left Daniel in a near brain-dead state with no movement in either eye. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 21 May 2026 He was declared brain-dead that day and taken off life support two days later. — City News Service, Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brain-dead
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brain-dead
Adjective
  • There are even times when an NFL coach will say or do something really dumb that makes news.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Our cybersecurity defenses were built for lone hackers and dumb swarms.
    — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Parents who decline to vaccinate their children have been called selfish and stupid.
    — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 29 Sep. 2026
  • No one is evil, but people do stupid things, which accords with my own memories of college.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Because mRNA technology bypasses the slow process of growing viruses in eggs, mRNA manufacturing allows for later influenza strain selection and fast production, unlike traditional vaccines.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • After his sudden death in 1960, Olivetti began a slow decline and was eventually broken up and merged with a telecommunications company.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Waffles and pimento Another enduring element of Chick-fil-A is its famously simple menu.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brain-dead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brain-dead. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster