as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
a scatterbrained child who couldn't seem to pay attention or stop fooling around
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Recent Examples of scatterbrained
Susan Blanchard co-starred as Tina Kelly, his scatterbrained housekeeper.
—
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The novel begins on a Monday afternoon like any other at its three adolescent central characters’ loving but scatterbrained aunt Xía’s house in Miami.
—Juan Vidal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The company enlisted Donald Duck’s scatterbrained cartoon uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, in a video on votedisney.com to make its case that Disney’s current board members are up to the job.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Hudson turns up her ditz-o-meter to 11, twirling and screaming her way through a performance that should remind Hollywood of her singular scatterbrained talents.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2022
Trying to stay organized can be a real pain, especially for those of us who may be a bit scatterbrained.
—Chris Hachey, BGR, 22 June 2021
President Biden had another dismal week thanks to the accelerating border crisis, the beginnings of his assault on the Second Amendment, Vice President Kamala Harris’s behavior and his scatterbrained performance at a Thursday news conference.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2020
Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The novel begins on a Monday afternoon like any other at its three adolescent central characters’ loving but scatterbrained aunt Xía’s house in Miami.
—Juan Vidal, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
The company enlisted Donald Duck’s scatterbrained cartoon uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, in a video on votedisney.com to make its case that Disney’s current board members are up to the job.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Hudson turns up her ditz-o-meter to 11, twirling and screaming her way through a performance that should remind Hollywood of her singular scatterbrained talents.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2022
Trying to stay organized can be a real pain, especially for those of us who may be a bit scatterbrained.
—Chris Hachey, BGR, 22 June 2021
President Biden had another dismal week thanks to the accelerating border crisis, the beginnings of his assault on the Second Amendment, Vice President Kamala Harris’s behavior and his scatterbrained performance at a Thursday news conference.
—Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, 27 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatterbrained
Adjective
-
But the sketch is the same goofy girl as in my mirror—V-neck T-shirt, wide forehead, low ponytail showing my ear piercings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
With respect to any of the real deaths on display in the 1978 Faces of Death, the movie is mostly just goofy.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Menu references to ancient reptiles — plus the brand’s silly mascot, a dinosaur in a toque — make fast food feel more like fun food.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
16 Apr. 2026
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What appears to be a bouncy, silly romp about a slightly surreal situation (Murray plays Phil, a weatherman reliving the same day over and over) is, at its core, actually quite deep.—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But many people on the right were giddy.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Afterward, thousands of giddy fans thronged the malecón, Havana’s seaside promenade, laughing and drinking rum.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That doesn’t mean future rounds, perhaps already starting this week, are futile.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
The houses of worship bill, which Speaker Julie Menin strongly advocated for, passed with a veto-proof majority, so pursuing a veto would likely be futile.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scatterbrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatterbrained. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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