scatterbrain

noun

scat·​ter·​brain ˈska-tər-ˌbrān 

informal

: a person who is forgetful, disorganized, or unable to concentrate or think clearly

The English, who had raised eccentricity and poor organization to a high art, and placed the scatterbrain on a pedestal, loathed such Middle European things as rules, conventions, and dictatorships.

—Simon Winchester

Synonyms

• birdbrain
• cuckoo
• ditz
• featherbrain
• featherhead
• flibbertigibbet
• nitwit
• rattlebrain
• softhead

Example Sentences

Where did I put my keys? I'm such a scatterbrain today.

don't be such a scatterbrain—it's only a wedding, not the invasion of Normandy

Word History

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scatterbrain

noun

scat·​ter·​brain ˈskat-ər-ˌbrān 

: a silly careless person incapable of concentration

scatterbrained

-ˌbrānd

adjective