space cadet
Americannoun
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a person who appears to be in their own world or out of touch with reality.
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a person who behaves oddly or seems stupefied or remote because of the influence of drugs; druggie.
noun
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.
"It's been too long cowboy," says space cadet Buzz - again voiced by Tim Allen - in the new trailer, released late on Thursday.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
“Life has been wild lately,” added Brumback, a platinum-haired raver with a space cadet vibe and freakish tumbling skills.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2020
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
The abrasive textures and Auto-Tuned bombast feels Kanye-esque, while the stoner croonings and space cadet ramblings evoke his Atlanta collaborators.
From The Guardian • Sep. 16, 2015
G was always a little bit of a space cadet.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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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.