harebrained

Or hair·brained

[hair-breynd]

adjective

1. giddy; reckless.

   Synonyms: dimwitted, half-baked, scatterbrained, rattlebrained

harebrained

/ ˈhɛəˌbreɪnd /

adjective

1. rash, foolish, or badly thought out

   harebrained schemes

Other Word Forms

• harebrainedly adverb
• harebrainedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of harebrained¹

First recorded in 1545–55; hare + brained

Example Sentences

“That’s the stupidest, dumbest, most harebrained scheme I’ve heard in my life,” a farmer complained to a government official in one scene, a sentiment studio executives echoed as they rejected Carter’s project as too far-fetched.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The scheme seemed as harebrained as it was cruel, and Martinez offered little to lend clarity.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

That’s why we see two fiercely opposed candidates rushing to agree on this harebrained scheme.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Constrained by work and family, Mr. McDonnell took more than three years to carry out what he described as his “harebrained” idea.

Read more on New York Times

The move, which was the first of many harebrained strategies cooked up by Giuliani and Trump without input from people who know better, came as a complete surprise to his staff.

Read more on Salon