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crackbrain

crackbrain

9.9
A person with very foolish or wild ideas
  • noun
  • /ˈkrækˌbreɪn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : chiflado
  • He was known as the local crackbrain for his wild stories and odd behavior.

Examples

  • Calling her a crackbrain was unfair, as her ideas were simply ahead of their time.

  • He is such a crackbrain for suggesting we build a rocket in the backyard.

  • The villagers dismissed the inventor as a crackbrain because of his strange machines.

  • Don't listen to her; she's a total crackbrain!

  • The inventor was considered a crackbrain for his outrageous ideas about flying cars.

  • Everyone at the conference thought he was a crackbrain with his unusual theories about time travel.

  • Despite being labeled a crackbrain, her imaginative proposals often surprised those who doubted her.

Synonyms

nut
vscrackbrain
  • Informal
309 7.5

A person who behaves in a silly or strange way

is more negative and stresses very wild or foolish ideas
madman
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
95 6.4

A man who acts very strangely or dangerously and may be mentally ill

focuses on odd or eccentric ideas rather than dangerous insanity
nutcase
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
52 8.6

A person who behaves very strangely and may be dangerous

focuses more on odd ideas rather than actual danger
lunatic
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
51 6.2

A person who acts in a wild or reckless way

is narrower, centring on eccentric or foolish ideas rather than recklessness
loco
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
49 9.8

A person who behaves in a strange or wild way

is more specific about wild, unusual ideas rather than general slang
crackpot
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
40 8.2

A person who has strange or unrealistic ideas

is broader, marking wild or foolish ideas rather than just unconventionality
crank
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
29 7.7

A person who is often angry and has strange ideas

is less about mood and more about wildly eccentric ideas
crackhead
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
12 9.9

An offensive word for a person who is very into something, for example video games

is about odd, eccentric ideas rather than obsession or vice
nutbag
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
4 8.6

A person who acts in a silly or strange way

is stronger, pointing to wilder and more eccentric ideas
lamebrain
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
3 9.3

A person who is not very smart

emphasizes eccentric, wild ideas rather than simple lack of sense
madcap
vscrackbrain
  • Informal
1 7.9

A person who does risky things without thinking

is about strange ideas and eccentric thinking rather than impulsive acts
nutcake
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
1 9.1

An insulting word for a person who acts very silly or strange

is less purely insulting and stresses eccentric or wild ideas
total nutcase
vscrackbrain
  • Offensive
1 8.8

A person who acts in a way that seems crazy

highlights wild or foolish ideas even when not utterly extreme

How Crazy

lunatic
  • Slur
153 9.8
madman
  • Offensive
95 6.4
crackbrain
  • Offensive
9.9
fool
  • Offensive
1.4
simpleton
  • Offensive
21 7.3

Surface Forms

crackbrain singular
crackbrains plural

Morphology

crackbrain = crack + brain (transparent) = crack + brain

The noun is a straightforward compound (person with a 'cracked' brain), so meaning 'foolish or crazy person' is inferable.

Etymology

Crackbrain comes from crack ('crazy' or 'broken') and brain ('mind'). Picture a 'cracked' mind that has wild ideas, and that's why a crackbrain is a foolish or odd person.