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braniac

braniac

6.8
A person who is very smart and good at school subjects
  • noun
  • /ˈbræniˌæk/
  • Informal
translation icon : genio
  • As a braniac, she effortlessly solved the complex math problems that baffled her peers.

Examples

  • Even among his classmates, he was considered a braniac for his ability to grasp difficult concepts quickly.

  • The young braniac impressed everyone with her knowledge of astrophysics at such a young age.

  • Well, I'm no braniac like you or Candace.

  • But when they're teenagers, I'm sure our conversations will all revolve around them explaining advanced statistics to me again, the little braniacs.

    Blog text (18)

Synonyms

genius
vsbraniac
252 4.9

A person with very strong intelligence or creative skill

highlights excelling in academic subjects rather than creative breadth
brainiac
vsbraniac
  • Slang
31 8.2

A person who is very smart and good at solving hard problems

is the same meaning but uses a different spelling in writing
savant
vsbraniac
26 8.9

A person with very great knowledge or skill in one subject

focuses on broad academic excellence rather than specialized scholarship
Einstein
vsbraniac
  • Informal
5.6

A very smart person who is especially good in one subject

emphasizes general high academic skill rather than field-specific originality
intellective
vsbraniac
  • Archaic
9.9

A person known for deep thinking and ideas

focuses on academic excellence and subject mastery rather than mere thought

Antonyms

simpleton
  • Offensive
21 7.3

A person who is not very smart and trusts people easily

How Intelligent

genius
252 4.9
braniac
  • Informal
6.8
Joe Average
  • Informal
1 5.2
dullard
  • Offensive
5 7.8

Surface Forms

braniac singular
braniacs plural

Morphology

braniac = brain (transparent) = brain + iac

Formed from 'brain' + suffix '-iac' meaning 'person characterized by brain'; the meaning 'very intelligent person' is directly predictable from 'brain'.

Etymology

The word braniac comes from brain plus the ending -iac, which suggests 'one with' a strong quality and is like the ending in maniac. A helpful way to remember it is to picture someone with a lot of brain power, so braniac means a very intelligent person, often good at school subjects.