brainy

[ brey-nee ]

adjective

, Informal.

, brain·i·er, brain·i·est.

1. intelligent; clever; intellectual.

brainy

/ ˈbreɪnɪ /

adjective

1. informal.
   clever; intelligent

Derived Forms

• ˈbrainily, adverb
• ˈbraininess, noun

Other Words From

• braini·ly adverb
• braini·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brainy¹

First recorded in 1835–45; brain + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Such a brainy AI could come up with better ways to diagnose or prevent diseases.

From Science News For Students

Resnick-Baker is the buff and brainy heroine of Summit, a 15-issue comic series created and written by Amy Chu ’91.

From MIT Technology Review

For at least 10 million years after the dinosaurs disappeared, mammals got a lot brawnier but not brainier, researchers report in the April 1 Science.

From Science News

One yet unknown question is which brainy details to include.

From Singularity Hub 

During his anti-society soapbox rants Allie can come across as a raving loon of the most dangerous sort, yet in this rendering he’s also charming and brainy enough to suggest why Margot didn’t just grab the kids and run years ago.

From Time

After still one more failed engagement, Day married Esther Milnes, a brainy heiress who was utterly enchanted with his ideas.

From The Daily Beast

They posted sensationalistic stories online, with headlines like “Brainy Ex-Model Suing Google.”

From The 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.

From The Daily Beast

“I was the Hermione,” she said, referring to the brainy Harry Potter character.

From The Daily Beast

Beautiful, brainy, and bossy—on the surface, Gu Kailai was a new breed of Politburo wife.

From The Daily Beast

We've been waiting for you; you're all that's lacking—the brainy guy to sit behind the scenes and manage the thing.

From Project Gutenberg

They were brave, brainy, patriotic men, not disturbed by the abuse heaped upon them.

From Project Gutenberg

I remember that my brainy partner is counting khaki trousers in the Army clothing department.

From Project Gutenberg

His face was awfully white; not that brainy pallor that was familiar—something else!

From Project Gutenberg

Strong brainy men give themselves wholly to the task, and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars within a few months.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• brilliant