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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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One detour led me to Paul Krassner, a founding member of the Yippies, a radical (and radically goofy) New Left group.
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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.
Adjective
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For one, the corporation made major investments in WeWork, a coworking space startup that imploded in spectacular fashion in 2019, leaving the possibility that his all-in on AI could come to look foolish as well.
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Some thought the move was foolish.
Adjective
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Over the years, the visuals dramatically improve, from snuff film aesthetics to confidently silly splendor.
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The Alexa smart assistant is as good as ever, with tons of useful and silly skills, along with deep integration for ordering items via Amazon.
Adjective
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But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
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White can believe Hokit said something stupid and still believe fighters should be allowed to speak for themselves.
Adjective
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Fahd, cradling his bloodied baby, pressing his hand to Sam’s head in a futile attempt to staunch the bleeding.
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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.
Adjective
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Blending historical facts and patriotic myths, the works offer a vibrant, playful and sometimes absurd look at events like the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Washington crossing the Delaware.
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As tensions rise and panic sets in, the sisters are forced into a painful and increasingly absurd fight for survival before the homeowner returns.
Adjective
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And then there are the uptempo perennials that made Highland, California the giddiest place on earth.
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Alpha Camp − Nikki Hru, Maddy Jones, Leiya Pillitteri − had seemed giddy with confidence before the flaming arrow competition.
Adjective
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The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 8 laptop shows up ready to work with a snappy Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, insane 32GB of RAM, and spacious 2TB SSD in its (figurative) briefcase.
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Eventually, though, Lestat breaks, coming clean about his tumultuous past with first lover Nicolas de Lenfent (Joseph Potter), who went insane after being attacked by Armand (Assad Zaman) in Paris in the late 18th century.
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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