harebrained

American  

[hair-breynd] / ˈhɛərˌbreɪnd /

Or hairbrained

adjective

1. giddy; reckless.

   Synonyms:

   dimwitted, half-baked, scatterbrained, rattlebrained

---

harebrained British  

/ ˈhɛəˌbreɪnd /

adjective

1. rash, foolish, or badly thought out

   harebrained schemes

---

Other Word Forms

• harebrainedly adverb
• harebrainedness noun

Etymology

Origin of harebrained

First recorded in 1545–55; hare + brained

Example Sentences

“It was the most harebrained operation I’d seen in my 38 years with the U.S. government,” Nagy said, referring to the methods used this year.

From Salon

“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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From 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.

From New York Times

As it happened, this scheme turned out to be even more harebrained than was evident at face value.

From New York Times