Skip to main content
braindead

braindead

1 7.3
Very stupid and showing little thought
  • adjective
  • /ˈbreɪnˌdɛd/
  • Offensive
translation icon : estúpido
  • - At least she's not braindead.

Examples

  • Go back to your moonshine still and leave reading for people who aren't braindead.

    Blog text (30)
  • The whole 'all this time the Gnu atheists have been arguing against classical theism!' thing is just so braindead, maybe the giveaway there.

    Blog text (16)
  • He said the same foolish, braindead stuff everywhere.

    Blog text (27)
  • It's braindead, come on.

  • I was also polite but did say that if he and Loria were truly surprised by the negative reaction to the trade, as they claimed, they must be braindead.

    Blog text (19)
  • I've done thousands of hours of research on this topic, and those who are pro-GMO are either totally brainwashed or completely braindead.

    Blog text (14)
  • His braindead comments during the meeting revealed his lack of understanding of the topic.

  • Trying to solve complex problems without any preparation is a braindead approach.

  • She made a braindead mistake by forgetting to bring her passport to the airport.

Synonyms

stupid
vsbraindead
  • Informal
104 1.6

Unable to think clearly for a short time because of shock or exhaustion

is more permanent and extreme lack of thought and awareness
mindless
vsbraindead
39 4.1

Not thinking or paying attention before acting

is more complete lack of mental activity and awareness
brainless
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
24 3.5

Very stupid and not using common sense

is stronger implying near total absence of mental awareness
witless
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9 6.8

Not showing good sense or judgment

is more extreme in absence of mental activity and awareness
boneheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
8 8.0

Very stupid and not thinking clearly

is stronger and implies total absence of mental awareness
unintelligent
vsbraindead
8 3.3

Not smart or slow to understand

is stronger and suggests extreme lack of thought and mental awareness
dimwitted
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
6 5.3

Not very smart and slow to understand things

is more severe showing a deeper lack of awareness and thought
dumb as a post
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
3 9.9

Very slow to understand or react

is even more total lack of mental activity and awareness
empty-headed
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
3 6.3

Silly, not very intelligent and not serious

is more absolute denoting lack of thought and mental awareness
dunderheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Being very foolish and showing poor judgment

is more extreme suggesting almost complete lack of mental activity
thick-skulled
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 8.1

Not quick to understand or learn new things

is more radical implying almost no mental activity or awareness
addlebrained
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Not thinking clearly and often acting in a silly way

is more absolute implying absence rather than mere confusion of thought
muddleheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 9.1

Confused and unable to think clearly

is more severe pointing to lack of mental activity and awareness
flea-brained
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 9.8

Being very silly and not serious

is more extreme pointing to deep lack of mental activity or awareness
fatheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 8.8

Not very smart or sensible

is more extreme indicating almost no mental activity or awareness
blockheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
1 8.3

Not able to think clearly or make good decisions

is more extreme stressing complete lack of thought or awareness
ass-brained
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.9

Very foolish and acting without thinking

is more extreme in lacking any mental activity or awareness
dumb as a bag of hammers
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.8

Very stupid and not able to think clearly

is focused on severe thoughtlessness and near absence of awareness
lunkheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.8

Being very foolish and clumsy in how someone thinks or acts

is more about total lack of thought and mental responsiveness
puddingheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.9

Silly and confused in the way someone thinks

is stronger and implies near total absence of thought and awareness
loggerheaded
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing very little intelligence or common sense

is stronger describing almost total loss of mental activity and awareness
low-thoughted
vsbraindead
  • Offensive
9.9

Showing little intelligence and only simple ideas

is more extreme indicating absence of basic thought and awareness

Antonyms

2.7

Knowing that something exists or is happening

507 3.4

Able to think, understand, and learn new things

How Unintelligent

braindead
  • Offensive
1 7.3
idiotic
  • Offensive
115 4.4
stupid
  • Offensive
1.0
dumb
  • Offensive
945 3.2
slow-witted
  • Offensive
3 6.7

Surface Forms

braindead positive

Morphology

braindead = brain + dead (semi-transparent) = brain + dead

The meaning is a metaphorical extension of 'brain' + 'dead' to mean 'stupid' or 'unresponsive', which is understandable but involves pragmatic shift.

Etymology

The word braindead joins brain and dead to make a strong image: a 'dead' brain that is not working. People use it informally to say someone or something shows no thought or is very stupid, like a 'dead' battery with no power. So, calling something braindead means it shows no mental activity.