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
When his harebrained money-laundering scheme loses millions of the cartel’s cash, Hanson is caught in a web of dangerous debt, absurd criminal mishap and a huge FBI takedown.
—
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harebrained
Adjective
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Alongside Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and his best friend, Shaggy Rogers, Scooby spent decades unmasking supposedly supernatural villains while winning over generations of fans with his goofy charm, insatiable appetite and signature catchphrases.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
All well and good—even if the log-line here may remind some of you of this goofy scene from the Sex and the City movie.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
It’s presented without winks or nudges, neither as a joke nor necessarily foolish.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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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
Adjective
-
When it’s done well, the audience doesn’t realize that’s what’s happening; this story is super-silly and the characters actually just got a little bit closer.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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The whole thing was undeniably silly.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
The pyrotechnics, however, come from Amanda and Danielle, who get in one of those stupid fights that are only possible after a full day of drinking in a retro vehicle.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
Yes, Ken really is this stupid.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fahd, cradling his bloodied baby, pressing his hand to Sam’s head in a futile attempt to staunch the bleeding.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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The suit recounts the rapid deterioration — and futile attempts to salvage — what for a long time had been a mutually beneficial professional and artistic partnership.—
Mary Carole McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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Swipe fees and minimums make a tenth-of-a-cent charge absurd.—
Renana Ashkenazi,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
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Yes, Scheffler enters this week as the betting favorite, but by his absurd standards, his probability has actually dipped.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wayne Brady, Billy Porter and Harvey Fierstein are giddy with excitement for the preview of their upcoming production Encores!—
Brendan Le,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
The future shotstopper was out the door and sprinting in giddy celebration up a street near Bloemfontein before the players had even begun their shimmy.—
Jack Bantock,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
That’s an insane thing to believe.—
Holly Gleason,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
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And ultimately, the premise of the show is insane horror tropes are happening to boring, normal people.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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