Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

space cadet

American  

noun

Slang.

  1. a person who appears to be in their own world or out of touch with reality.

  2. a person who behaves oddly or seems stupefied or remote because of the influence of drugs; druggie.

space cadet British  

noun

  1. slang a person who is eccentric or out of touch with reality, as if affected by drugs

"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

Etymology

Origin of space cadet

1950–55, for sense “spaceman trainee”

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.

Whatever they are paying play-by-play men who work with space cadet Bill, it ain’t enough.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2019

I did the unthinkable and broke the space cadet code.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2018

Still, Beasley provides size and scoring, and, despite having a reputation for being something of a space cadet, LeBron reportedly got along with the forward when they played together in Miami.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2018

I had always thought that turning it off and letting it flow was a bunch of hippie space cadet psychic burn-out stuff.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2018

G was always a little bit of a space cadet.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

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.