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
Relevance
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
The O’Haras happen to move in next door to him.
Frothy and often filthy without being brainless (send thanks across the Atlantic for that good British dialogue), this is escapism done right.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for brainless
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
The O’Haras happen to move in next door to him.
Frothy and often filthy without being brainless (send thanks across the Atlantic for that good British dialogue), this is escapism done right.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for brainless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainless
Adjective
-
But the truly dangerous frontier is the American high school, where girls are willing to play dumb and give up their secrets, friends, privacy and virginity to fit in and find love.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
-
There were those dumb America's Care Packages that bestowed special powers to popular players to give them unfair advantages.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
And that was so arrogant and stupid on my part.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At some point, Brandon Aiyuk has to learn that stupid decisions come with consequences.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Recovery of the bodies has been slow because of the chemicals and other hazards present at the site, Amos explained.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
One of the most painful things about this disease is knowing that promising treatments are emerging, but funding barriers and manufacturing and procedural slow-downs continue to derail progress.—
Elise Esposito,
Boston Herald,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the target was foolish enough to reuse passwords, credential thefts like these could enable the compromise of more important accounts.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2026
-
Backing the Cubs right now seems foolish.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The actor, 39, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of simple battery in a Louisiana criminal court Wednesday, June 3, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At the time, the New Orleans Police Department confirmed its officers charged LaBeouf with two counts of simple battery for allegedly assaulting two men near a bar in the French Quarter.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Through the fuzz and the bad camera angles emerges an extraordinary catalogue of dummies, flicks, and feints, a hodge-podge of silly tricks.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
To lose that would be silly now.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Hikers dip into shady trails lined with thick brush, a favorite path being the Myakka Canopy Walkway, which offers a rare peek into the ecosystems—both minuscule and massive—within the swampy marshland.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
Whatever its former luxury, the boat now had cabins crammed with four-person bunks and an atmosphere thick with the scent of unwashed bodies and the steam of rations.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
After eighteen months of crisis that saw historic urban fires, harassment by federal immigration authorities, and the generalized anxiety that attends a place where rents are high and services low, public transit inadequate and gas prices insane, the city’s vitality is flagging.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Lots of wires, lots of insane stunts.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Brainless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainless. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
