Synonyms of harebrained

harebrained

adjective

ˈher-ˈbrānd 

1

as in goofy

lacking in seriousness or maturity

the movie follows the harebrained antics of a pair of stoners who seem incapable of growing up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• goofy
• silly
• futile
• giddy
• scatterbrained
• frivolous
• playful
• foolish
• featherbrained
• puerile
• ditzy
• flighty
• yeasty
• light-minded
• scatty
• frothy
• dizzy
• inane
• birdbrained
• thoughtless
• crazy
• happy
• fatuous
• nonsensical
• shallow
• light-headed
• daffy
• witless
• daft
• superficial
• flippant
• exuberant
• lighthearted
• giggly
• fluttery
• sappy
• light
• fruity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• serious
• earnest
• sober
• thoughtful
• serious-minded
• grave
• melancholy
• somber
• severe
• dignified
• solemn
• heavy
• unfrivolous
• staid
• sedate
• no-nonsense

2

as in foolish

showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment

a harebrained idea to go for a hike in an area where grizzly bear attacks had recently been reported

Synonyms & Similar Words

• foolish
• stupid
• silly
• absurd
• insane
• crazy
• mad
• idiotic
• irrational
• lunatic
• preposterous
• zany
• loony
• wacky
• fatuous
• asinine
• ridiculous
• dumb
• nonsensical
• fool
• crackpot
• simpleminded
• daffy
• cockeyed
• kooky
• dippy
• simple
• screwball
• daft
• brainless
• nutty
• wacko
• half-baked
• unwise
• cuckoo
• unreasonable
• barmy
• witless
• inept
• senseless
• crackbrained
• half-witted
• unreasoning
• jerky
• weak-minded
• sappy
• dotty
• batty
• out to lunch
• weak
• lunkheaded
• bubbleheaded
• gaga
• moronic
• slow
• unreasoned
• thoughtless
• meshuga
• loony tunes
• balmy
• dunderheaded
• doltish
• dopey
• softheaded
• illogical
• lamebrain
• featherheaded
• pinheaded
• tomfool
• imbecile
• clueless
• vacuous
• fallacious
• fruity
• ludicrous
• mindless
• obtuse
• brain-dead
• unintelligent
• feebleminded
• empty-headed
• thickheaded
• oafish
• dense
• farcical
• dull
• laughable
• dim-witted
• knuckleheaded
• opaque
• invalid
• dorky
• surd
• airheaded
• dim
• unsound
• chuckleheaded
• slow-witted
• gormless
• ill-advised
• nonrational
• birdbrained
• clownish
• thick
• unconsidered
• soft
• buffoonish
• notional
• boobish
• chowderheaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sensible
• sound
• wise
• prudent
• sane
• judicious
• clever
• intelligent
• smart
• reasonable
• sagacious
• logical
• bright
• valid
• rational
• sage
• sapient
• brainy
• well-advised

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of harebrained

Here are some methods for scraping good music from the data wasteland, organized in a hierarchy from bottom-feeder basics to more sophisticated and ultimately, uhh, harebrained strategies. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 31 July 2025

More harebrained projects follow, and the family’s tilting house finally tumbles after neighbors and acquaintances slowly chip away at the building to repurpose many of the structure’s materials. — Anita Snow, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025

Cuomo staying in the race could make for the most unpredictable, harebrained mayoral election that New York has had since 1977. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 3 July 2025

One of Steve’s harebrained schemes involves founding a movie theater speakeasy, for which the film-loving pair decides to pinch the private print at the following week’s engagement. — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 26 June 2025