harebrained

American  

[hair-breynd] / ˈhɛərˌbreɪnd /

Or hairbrained

adjective

1. giddy; reckless.

   Synonyms:

   dimwitted, half-baked, scatterbrained, rattlebrained

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harebrained British  

/ ˈhɛəˌbreɪnd /

adjective

1. rash, foolish, or badly thought out

   harebrained schemes

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Other Word Forms

• harebrainedly adverb
• harebrainedness noun

Etymology

Origin of harebrained

First recorded in 1545–55; hare + brained

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.

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 • Dec. 16, 2025

Santos clearly has an appetite for harebrained petty scams, which is exactly what has done him in on the national level.

From Slate • Nov. 16, 2023

I don’t take that lightly, because I’ve worked with other producers — good producers — but they were less enthusiastic about embracing harebrained ideas.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Probably it was always a harebrained scheme, though bearing in mind the atrocities to come it is hard not to sympathize.

From Washington Post • Jan. 5, 2023

I was thus firmly urged not to waste more time with my harebrained scheme.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson