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
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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
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Recent Examples of brainless
But the most impressive is first-time writer-director Molly Manning Walker getting us not just to forgive her central triad their brash and brainless bravado but to grieve for it when it’s gone.
—
Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024
An oyster, immobile and nearly brainless, is hardly even an animal, despite what the taxonomists tell us.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 9 Jan. 2024
And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Except these mussels are eyeless, brainless, little brown creatures that few people have ever heard of.
—Robert Kunzig, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for brainless
Jessica Kiang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Feb. 2024
An oyster, immobile and nearly brainless, is hardly even an animal, despite what the taxonomists tell us.
—Peter Rubin, Longreads, 9 Jan. 2024
And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year.
—Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023
Except these mussels are eyeless, brainless, little brown creatures that few people have ever heard of.
—Robert Kunzig, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for brainless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainless
Adjective
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Free speech covers the jokes, the satire, the parodies—even the dumb, crass, or offensive ones.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
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On the flipside, Kimmel, like everyone else with a boss, is not protected against saying dumb stuff and getting fired.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The name-calling and the stupid AI and the imagery has got to stop.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
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These kids are being stupid and absurd and reckless and not thinking about anything other than what’s directly in front of their faces.—
Will Leitch,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The slow start that Mayfield is alluding to has to do with the Buccaneers only scoring two field goals through the first half, and scoring their first touchdown well into the third quarter.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
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Construction in the section of Jackson Park, often described as Chicago’s equivalent of Central Park, has been slow.—
Christine Valora,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This place belongs to the Carver, a deranged butcher who hunts anything foolish enough to enter.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Jared Jewelers Bulova Phantom Watch A watch is both practical and fashionable, and this style adds a touch of sparkle to simple outfits.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
4 Oct. 2025
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Each year, as the temperature rises, the town’s regular population of around 300 swells with thousands of kids soaking up the simple pleasures of the great outdoors.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This dance party for toddlers and preschoolers is packed with silly puppets, cheerful songs, and endless smiles!—
Sarah Z. Sleeper,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Sep. 2025
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And why that silly jacket in the middle of June?—
David Wright Faladé,
New Yorker,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Some models suggest that K2-18b is a hycean world — an ocean planet with a thick atmosphere of hydrogen — and the signature of dimethyl sulfide was detected by the James Webb Space Telescope.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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Its fabric is thick but not too heavy, according to reviewers, which is great for someone like me whose body temperature fluctuates constantly.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This aspect will always cast her apart, even today, in the sense that a woman’s naked body is still perceived by audiences as something that stands out for some absurd reason, unfortunately.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
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Their vote to shut down the government is absurd.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Brainless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainless. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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