brainless

adjective

ˈbrān-ləs How to pronounce brainless (audio)
Definition of brainlessnext
1
as in dumb
not having or showing an ability to absorb ideas readily a teacher who affirms that there are no brainless students, only lazy ones

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment a brainless decision to talk on her cell phone while weaving in and out of traffic

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 brainless This extends well beyond the 2025 Bombers, their signature head-scratching and somewhat brainless play on the field has plagued them dating back to 2021. — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025 There's really no way to prep for the show — basically, just don't be brainless. — Lindsay Soll, EW.com, 25 July 2025 So, what can the neuronal activity of a tiny, brainless creature possibly tell us about the evolution of our own complex brains? — Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 15 June 2024 An oyster, immobile and nearly brainless, is hardly even an animal, despite what the taxonomists tell us. — Peter Rubin, Longreads, 9 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for brainless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainless
  1. dumb
  2. stupid
  3. slow
  4. foolish
  5. simple
  6. silly
  7. thick
  8. insane
Adjective
  • The friends aren’t dumb; they’ve just been baked for so long that acting dumb is a habit.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps in writing it, Salinger was trying to negotiate whether his remarkable survival through some of the war’s worst gauntlets could be chalked up to dumb luck, or divine intervention.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of dumb
Adjective
  • Far too much coverage of declining trust in science — particularly the anti-vaccine movement — is predicated on the assumption that its adherents are either stupid or crazy.
    — Rick Berke, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Dodge Durango Hellcat is the most accessible way to go stupid-fast in a three-row family car thanks to the Escalade V‘s high price tag.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of stupid
Adjective
  • The challenge is that the hydrogen evolution reaction is slower in alkaline environments, increasing the need for catalysts that can deliver high activity without rapidly losing performance.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
  • As Mikhail Gorbachev became Soviet premier and promised new openness with a policy of glasnost, a slow thaw would begin toward free speech, human rights, the release of political dissidents and relaxed restrictions on emigration.
    — Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of slow
Adjective
  • That’s economically foolish and potentially devastating for patients.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As some of us will inevitably succumb to its grand and growing illusion, the rest may get the opportunity to find the key to understanding how so many others could be fooled and so foolish.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • With other phones, even something simple like replacing an aging battery often requires melting adhesive, prying apart fragile glass panels, and decoupling cables.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • For a generation that grew up under those glowing Pizza Hut pendants, the appeal is simple.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The Astros’ rotation is in such a state that ruling anyone out as a candidate to start games seems silly, but their actions indicate Imai is something of a last resort.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • So, even though Jay spent the song drawing a line between his own sophistication and the rest of the rap world’s childish behavior, 13 years later, kids are turning his luxury flex into a silly dance.
    — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Everything about the deer seemed oversize, including the thick, bullish body that met a neck that looked at least 24 inches around at its smallest.
    — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Materials Professional agility courses where competitions are held use poles made from Polyvinyl chloride plastic pipes that are 3/4-inch thick and stand 40 inches tall.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of thick
Adjective
  • If that insane offer doesn’t plug the leak, the fire sale begins.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of insane

Browse Nearby Words

braining
brainless
brainlessness
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Cite this Entry

“Brainless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainless. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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