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
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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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of harebrained
In the first season, Lance is Brooke’s loser boyfriend, who is always pitching harebrained ideas for custom sneakers.
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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
Climate policy is not some kind of utopian lefty scheme put forward by harebrained hippies; it's meant to deal with a screaming emergency that threatens all humanity, very much including Americans.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 11 June 2021
On the wholesome 1990s sitcom, Diamond embodied the ultimate yes-man sidekick who executed preppy Zack Morris’ most harebrained ideas.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for harebrained 
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
Climate policy is not some kind of utopian lefty scheme put forward by harebrained hippies; it's meant to deal with a screaming emergency that threatens all humanity, very much including Americans.
—Ryan Cooper, The Week, 11 June 2021
On the wholesome 1990s sitcom, Diamond embodied the ultimate yes-man sidekick who executed preppy Zack Morris’ most harebrained ideas.
—Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2021
See all Example Sentences for harebrained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harebrained
Adjective
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That was the moment when the staff finally got to see the real Walker—the playful, goofy, affectionate dog that had been afraid to come out before.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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The fact that the Harkonnen/Atreides feud has been going on for 10,000 years strikes me as fundamentally goofy.Erik Kain, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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If he can be had for under $10 million a year, the Yankees would be foolish to not pursue that idea.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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What a degrading finale for Biden’s feeble, forgettable, frequently foolish presidency.Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Packed with silly hijinks, this 2004 comedy also stars Kristin Chenoweth and Kristin Davis.Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024
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But 2024 is not 2017; silly overlays have given way to undetectable beauty filters.Chloe Albanesius, PCMAG, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For the people stupid enough to have trusted a midwit career bureaucrat as unscrupulous as President Joe Biden, there’s a sixth stage just before acceptance: delusion.Becket Adams, National Review, 8 Dec. 2024
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Wild Card with Rachel Martin Issa Rae on the belief that gets her through 'stupid mistakes and bad decisions' Lithgow: More.Rachel Martin, NPR, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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With dwindling options, Iran also withdrew its allied militias, recognizing that fighting for Assad would be futile.Natasha Hall, Foreign Affairs, 9 Dec. 2024
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This prospect seems likely because the ACLU is poised to pursue the case if the government drops out, making withdrawal by the new Trump administration potentially futile.Catherine Cole, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But the series, like the film, shows that vampires are also multidimensional — vulnerable, emotional, funny, absurd — and completely out of place in the modern world.Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
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Photo: Their lives often appear dramatic and borderline absurd.Daisy Jones, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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On 10 nights each season, the Brothers Manning pile into their Monday Night Football sidecar, offering football junkies a bracing dose of hardcore X’s and O’s that’s regularly leavened by an almost giddy irreverence.Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 Dec. 2024
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Miss Pettigrew can be a bit too giddy for its own good, but Adams matches that flamboyance at every giggly step.Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Idiot glee is a kind of sheer joy at the mad fact of the world.Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Dec. 2024
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But neither doctors nor group therapy can see beyond a confused and maybe slightly mad person.Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 6 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near harebrained
Cite this Entry
“Harebrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harebrained. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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