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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harebrained
Reggie’s resolve to fight against the rising tide inspires him to embark upon a harebrained scheme that involves con artistry and theatrical promotion.
—
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harebrained
Adjective
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The Japanese quartet take Ra’s skein of electronic noise as a starting point, wrapping it in a sizzling no wave funk beat, vocals that veer between incantatory and goofy, and bewitching mandalas of chimes and gongs.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
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Keno brought his goofy side to every practice, getting laughs at stinky feet jokes, or pretending to run into a door.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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If Florida is worried about China’s rise, dismantling educational and cultural exchanges is a foolish response.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 Apr. 2026
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But the Stars should be trying to goad the Wild into foolish penalties.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The manic, madcap, chaotic and silly stunt show was heavy on exposition to the delight of the fans who cheered the entrance of every One Piece character and laughed at the downfall of paper-thin goon.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
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And so a very silly conversation leads to a series of positions that are far from frivolous.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nothing gets Trump angrier than when one of his underlings is caught doing something stupid on videotape.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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But to those going to an upcoming show, for the love of God please shut up when Raye is sharing this story; a quiet room isn’t a license to yell stupid nonsense.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bayern coach José Barcala was also shown red by referee Ivana Martinčić for his protests, which were futile because a VAR check confirmed Kett’s foul.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Apr. 2026
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The entire Earth knows it, and that makes trading Aiyuk for anything notable a nearly futile undertaking.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As usual, human progress gets the sublimely absurd Herzogian treatment, with modern and primordial sights and sounds becoming whole.—
Eric Kohn,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
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But the idea of using one for multiple hours every day, or of trying to socialize in real life while the people around me try to meet my digital avatar’s dead eyes, is absurd.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Eurodance with the bass-heavy Swedish genre EPA-dunk and 3Cha—the giddy electronic dance music from Thaiboy’s home region of Isaan in Thailand—to form a new kind of globalist hyperpop.—
Harry Thorfinn-George,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
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Their struggle has upturned the tabletop candle that illuminates the scene and any moment will surely extinguish it, effacing the giddy pattern formed by the writhing bodies and glowing, veiny bladder skin.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Bringing his bag of insane tricks and witty banter to the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for two nights on May 8 and 9, Willman’s crowd work, storytelling and intricate tricks are inspired by everyday life.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
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Just this insane profanity-laden tirade that went on and on and on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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