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
-
The accompanying video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, fittingly harkens back to videos of the same era, as Puth embarks on a goofy adventure through a pre-digital world filled with charming claymation figurines and old-school stop motion effects.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
16 Oct. 2025
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Simpson has been sharp ever since that Week 1 loss at Florida State, which now looks even goofier.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the tone swings between sour and sweet, grounded and silly, and the jokes run more broadly wacky than precise or original.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
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In my eyes, much of the charm of a craft brewer is a willingness to be a little silly.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The crash’s giddy prequel, dramatic unfolding, and shattering aftermath—the Great Depression—has long provided compelling material for writers.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
That has Plattner in a giddy mood.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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False accusations cannot be rebutted, and any attempt to secure compensation or correction through the courts is futile; no open debate is allowed in the domain of thought and art.—
Jonny Diamond,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
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While some fans defended Jones, arguing that the defense was told to let the Jaguars score to give Patrick Mahomes and the offense more time to respond, banking on less than 30 seconds to tie the game proved futile to the Chiefs, who fell to 2-3 on the season.—
Trevor Squire,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatterbrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatterbrained. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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