brainy

[brey-nee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brainy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, brain·i·er, brain·i·est. Informal.

intelligent; clever; intellectual.

Origin of brainy

First recorded in 1835–45; brain + -y¹

Related formsbrain·i·ly, adverbbrain·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brainy

After still one more failed engagement, Day married Esther Milnes, a brainy heiress who was utterly enchanted with his ideas.
The Man Who Tried to Raise a Wife|Mythili Rao|April 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They posted sensationalistic stories online, with headlines like “Brainy Ex-Model Suing Google.”
Busting a Cyberstalker: How Carla Franklin Fought Back—and Triumphed|Abigail Pesta|October 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This will rightfully be marketed as a thriller, but it belongs among the brainy examples of the genre, like those by Robert Stone.
This Week’s Hot Reads: May 23, 2012|Nicholas Mancusi, Malcolm Jones, Lucas Wittmann|May 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
“I was the Hermione,” she said, referring to the brainy Harry Potter character.
John Friend Anusara Scandal: Inside the Wiccan ‘Sex’ Coven|Lizzie Crocker|April 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Beautiful, brainy, and bossy—on the surface, Gu Kailai was a new breed of Politburo wife.
China’s Jackie Kennedy: Gu Kailai and the Bo Xilai’s Scandal|Melinda Liu|April 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Such vigorous and brainy men do not escape the attention of the people.
The Bay State Monthly, Volume 3, No. 4|Various
They were picked for endurance, and the brainy will often crack up under a strain that the enduring kind hardly notices.
Eight Keys to Eden|Mark Irvin Clifton
He is the brainy exception of craft united to common sense, and he uses these to best advantage for his own interests.
The Fiery Totem|Argyll Saxby
He was a student, and was brainy and generous, and laughed at "able articles" even if they had stings in them.
McClure's Magazine, Volume VI, No. 3. February 1896|Various
He took an emphatic liking to the not too brainy colonel, and a new disrelish to his almost too sparkling wife.
John March, Southerner|George W. Cable

British Dictionary definitions for brainy

brainy

adjective brainier or brainiest

informal clever; intelligent

Derived Formsbrainily, adverbbraininess, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brainy

adj.

1845, from brain (n.) + -y (2). Latin equivalent cerebrosus meant "passionate, hot-headed," leading Tucker to remark that " 'Brainy' is not a natural expression for 'frantic.' "

brainy

adjective, brain·i·er, brain·i·est. Informal.

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Origin of brainy

Examples from the Web for brainy

brainy

adjective brainier or brainiest