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
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
Sadat cast Afghan nonactors to paint a scatterbrained picture of parentless adolescence, and outstanding production design immerses us in this historical remembrance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2020
As her frustration mounted and her school progress stalled, Kristine indulged in a series of minor rebellions — ignoring assignments, disrupting class, and affecting a scatterbrained personality in a bid for popularity.
—Jason Deparle, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2019
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
Sadat cast Afghan nonactors to paint a scatterbrained picture of parentless adolescence, and outstanding production design immerses us in this historical remembrance.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—Duane Byrge, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Aug. 2020
As her frustration mounted and her school progress stalled, Kristine indulged in a series of minor rebellions — ignoring assignments, disrupting class, and affecting a scatterbrained personality in a bid for popularity.
—Jason Deparle, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatterbrained
Adjective
-
Oh boy, wacky antics, including vomiting and other goofy altercations!—
Andy Hoglund,
EW.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Monty tends to be very energetic and goofy, while Sam is far more chilled out.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Moments that may seem silly or insignificant to others — like sharing a particular greeting, teasing each other in a familiar way or even speaking to each other in silly, baby-ish voices — can be great sources of comfort and familiarity for partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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The industry has seen its fair share of terrible ideas, from the downright bizarre to the silly.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Mountain, his latest venture, is more expansive in all respects—more seats, fancier grills, a bigger playbook of influences and techniques—while retaining the giddy obsession with sourcing that has become Parry’s signature.—
Amiel Stanek,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
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When the friends head to the public library to attend their first minicomics convention, their giddy, nervous excitement is palpable.—
James Sturm,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Impeachment of judges, however, is widely seen as a futile endeavor on Capitol Hill.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
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The confrontation ends in an electric if futile horse chase.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scatterbrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatterbrained. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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