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Glite Dictionary
birdbrained

birdbrained

1 8.2
Very silly and not very smart
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɜrdˌbreɪnd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : idiota
  • It was such a birdbrained decision to forget the important presentation.

Examples

  • You stupid, birdbrained, flat-headed...

    Life of Brian (1979)

  • Nothing surprises me anymore; even the liars who hawk birdbrained conspiracy theories in order to exonerate the terrorist hijackers and blame the victims.

    Blog text (33)

  • He came up with a birdbrained idea that made everyone laugh.

  • Her birdbrained comments during the meeting frustrated the team.

Synonyms

simple
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
138 8.1

Not smart or quick to understand

is more emphatic, stressing strong silliness or very low intelligence
lamebrained
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
1 8.4

Very silly and not showing good sense

is comparable but often suggests lighter, more silly than severe foolishness
flea-brained
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
1 9.8

Being very silly and not serious

is similar but often focuses more on simple lack of intelligence
ass-brained
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
9.9

Very foolish and acting without thinking

is similar but leans more toward playful silliness than harsh insult
gooselike
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
9.4

Silly and acting in a foolish, awkward way

is alike but usually sounds more playful or less bluntly insulting
featherbrained
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
8.3

Not serious and likely to make bad choices

is stronger, pointing more directly to lack of intelligence
featherheaded
vsbirdbrained
  • Offensive
8.1

Too silly and not careful about important things

is more forceful about actual lack of intelligence rather than mere frivolity

Antonyms

intelligent
507 3.4

Able to think, understand, and learn new things

sensible
201 2.7

Showing good judgment and making practical choices

How Silly

idiotic
  • Offensive
115 4.4
stupid
  • Offensive
∞ 1.0
birdbrained
  • Offensive
1 8.2
foolish
505 1.3
silly
976 1.0

Surface Forms

birdbrained positive

Morphology

birdbrained = birdbrain (transparent) = bird + brain + ed

Formed from the compound 'bird' + 'brain' with the adjectival suffix '-ed'; the metaphor 'having a bird's brain' clearly conveys 'silly' to learners.

Etymology

Birdbrained joins bird and brain, like saying someone has a 'bird' 'brain' because birds were often seen as having small, flighty minds. So birdbrained means 'very silly' or not thinking carefully.