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
Khrushchev’s harebrained scheme involved transporting medium- and intermediate-range nuclear missiles by ship to Cuba, while somehow managing to avoid detection by NATO.
—
Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2022
However, there is a certain charm to the harebrained things that got greenlit in the age of Aqua Net and leg warmers.
—Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 20 May 2024
In the first season, Lance is Brooke’s loser boyfriend, who is always pitching harebrained ideas for custom sneakers.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023
Only the steeliest of investors would dare become an entrepreneur in this economy; wannabe investors cling on to solid careers rather than risk it all for some harebrained cash grab.
—Robert Stevens, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Timothy Naftali, Foreign Affairs, 16 Nov. 2022
However, there is a certain charm to the harebrained things that got greenlit in the age of Aqua Net and leg warmers.
—Tim Moffatt, EW.com, 20 May 2024
In the first season, Lance is Brooke’s loser boyfriend, who is always pitching harebrained ideas for custom sneakers.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 9 June 2023
Only the steeliest of investors would dare become an entrepreneur in this economy; wannabe investors cling on to solid careers rather than risk it all for some harebrained cash grab.
—Robert Stevens, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for harebrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harebrained
Adjective
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Dark Winds took an explicit turn with its social and political commentary in its second season; as a result, the dialogue occasionally veered into goofy literalness, and many of its heavy-handed lines were given to Emma.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2025
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There’s a Moon Alert all day, which adds to the delays and goofy energy and restricts your spending to food and gas.—
Georgia Nicols,
The Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Peter, though revered as an apostle worthy of veneration, is also portrayed in the Gospels as prone to mistakes, often foolish, and sometimes outright contradictory to God’s will.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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The notion that women should be flawless multitaskers, managing a perfect home and career while never showing vulnerability or weakness is not only unrealistic, but also foolish.—
Nicole Lipkin,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Finally, its focus on physics means that things get silly pretty quickly, which makes for very shareable moments and clips.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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Dozen Bakery off Nolensville Pike is celebrating this silliest of holidays with special pies and quiche.—
Adam Tamburin,
Axios,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When Luca pulls a gun on him, ordering him to drive, Spencer quickly disarms him and then slaps him for the stupid move.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 Mar. 2025
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Indexing gives you a better chance to ‘be less stupid.’ — Investment advisor Barry Ritholtz Those dismal statistics come to us via the latest annual SPIVA scorecard (the acronym stands for Standard and Poor’s Index vs. Active).—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The data suggests that market timing is not a futile exercise but a skill - one that, like any other, is unevenly distributed and requires both technological sophistication and human insight to exploit effectively.—
Steven Desmyter,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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Former Vice President Mohammad-Ali Abtahi dismissed negotiations with Trump as futile, arguing that Trump's leadership made diplomacy ineffective.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Undermining tax collections and the IRS goes hand in glove with Trump’s absurd belief that the U.S. federal government can or should try to fund itself primarily via tariffs.—
New York Daily News,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2025
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Steph Curry is back in the groove, averaging 28.7 points and 6.1 assists with an absurd shooting line of .495/.421/.924 over the team's last 15 games.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The crowd - like at almost every cricket ground in the world when India plays - was partisan for the men in blue with giddy fans riding the emotion of every twist and turn of a gripping final.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Even today, Leach said people are more giddy about meeting her mother than the assistant chief.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Then Sterling did some less effective things and got suspended anyway, so that mad idea was, at least, parked for the time being.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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In one particularly horrifying incident, one family of herders lost over 40 of their stock, a fact that would contribute to the death of one child, which then caused the father to go mad and be sent to prison.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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