harebrained
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of harebrained
Explanation
Something that's harebrained is reckless or foolish. Sometimes, harebrained ideas work out just fine — several people have survived trips over Niagara Falls in a barrel, for example. If you have what you think is a great idea, but someone else calls it a harebrained scheme, it means they think you'd be a fool to try it. For example, your harebrained plan to ride your bike on the highway is bound to get you in trouble. The 16th century harebrained came from the earlier harebrain, "giddy or reckless person," from the common impression of a rabbit or a hare as being nervous and skittish.
Vocabulary lists containing harebrained
Mississippi Trial, 1955
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Red Flags and Butterflies
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Henry IV, Part 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Allen probably has more in common with Ryan Routh, who famously infiltrated Trump International Golf Course in a harebrained scheme to take down the then–Republican presidential nominee.
From Slate ● May 1, 2026
“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 ● Dec. 16, 2025
As it happened, this scheme turned out to be even more harebrained than was evident at face value.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
But her mission is, admittedly, rather harebrained — in contrast to the seemingly circumspect Claire’s general demeanor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2023
Her harebrained live wire of a daughter, the perpetual overreactor, prone to fits of furious indignation about nothing at all.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
