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no-brainer

American  
[noh-brey-ner] / ˈnoʊˈbreɪ nər /

noun

  1. Informal. anything requiring little thought or effort; something easy or simple to understand or do.

no-brainer British  
/ ˌnəʊˈbreɪnə /

noun

  1. slang something which requires little or no mental effort

"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
no-brainer Cultural  

  1. Something that is absurdly simple or easy and requires little thought: “Making pumpkin pie can be a no-brainer if you use frozen pastry and canned filling.”

Etymology

Origin of no-brainer

First recorded in 1975–80

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.

For some parents who have already struggled with it, banning the platforms for children is a no-brainer.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

If this were Beijing, New Delhi or Hanoi, it would be a no-brainer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

While opting for better performance may feel like a no-brainer, the answer is not as easy as it looks.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

With shipping already paid for in her annual $139 Amazon Prime membership and delivery promised within two days, ordering from Amazon was a no-brainer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

For a side dish, sweet corn was a no-brainer.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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.