as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
a scatterbrained child who couldn't seem to pay attention or stop fooling around
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Recent Examples of scatterbrained
Susan Blanchard co-starred as Tina Kelly, his scatterbrained housekeeper.
—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
The novel begins on a Monday afternoon like any other at its three adolescent central characters’ loving but scatterbrained aunt Xía’s house in Miami.
—
Juan Vidal,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
The company enlisted Donald Duck’s scatterbrained cartoon uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, in a video on votedisney.com to make its case that Disney’s current board members are up to the job.
—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Hudson turns up her ditz-o-meter to 11, twirling and screaming her way through a performance that should remind Hollywood of her singular scatterbrained talents.
—
Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
22 Nov. 2022
Trying to stay organized can be a real pain, especially for those of us who may be a bit scatterbrained.
—
Chris Hachey,
BGR,
22 June 2021
President Biden had another dismal week thanks to the accelerating border crisis, the beginnings of his assault on the Second Amendment, Vice President Kamala Harris’s behavior and his scatterbrained performance at a Thursday news conference.
—
Paul Bedard,
Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—
Duane Byrge,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Aug. 2020
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
The novel begins on a Monday afternoon like any other at its three adolescent central characters’ loving but scatterbrained aunt Xía’s house in Miami.
—
Juan Vidal,
New York Times,
24 Jan. 2025
The company enlisted Donald Duck’s scatterbrained cartoon uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, in a video on votedisney.com to make its case that Disney’s current board members are up to the job.
—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb. 2024
Meanwhile, Hudson turns up her ditz-o-meter to 11, twirling and screaming her way through a performance that should remind Hollywood of her singular scatterbrained talents.
—
Ann Hornaday,
Washington Post,
22 Nov. 2022
Trying to stay organized can be a real pain, especially for those of us who may be a bit scatterbrained.
—
Chris Hachey,
BGR,
22 June 2021
President Biden had another dismal week thanks to the accelerating border crisis, the beginnings of his assault on the Second Amendment, Vice President Kamala Harris’s behavior and his scatterbrained performance at a Thursday news conference.
—
Paul Bedard,
Washington Examiner,
27 Mar. 2021
Donald Moffat is superb as a president who masks his ferocity with scatterbrained folksiness.
—
Duane Byrge,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scatterbrained
Adjective
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One detour led me to Paul Krassner, a founding member of the Yippies, a radical (and radically goofy) New Left group.
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Alongside Fred Jones, Daphne Blake, Velma Dinkley and his best friend, Shaggy Rogers, Scooby spent decades unmasking supposedly supernatural villains while winning over generations of fans with his goofy charm, insatiable appetite and signature catchphrases.
Adjective
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Over the years, the visuals dramatically improve, from snuff film aesthetics to confidently silly splendor.
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The Alexa smart assistant is as good as ever, with tons of useful and silly skills, along with deep integration for ordering items via Amazon.
Adjective
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Ureña, a 22-year-old right-hander who has emerged as another potential ace, speaks of Soriano with a giddy amusement mixed with a solemn respect for how the starter has survived in the big leagues.
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For now, the stock market and the credit market are telling slightly different stories about the same companies, one giddy and one wary.
Adjective
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Uso’s conquest proved to be futile.
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Some days that hope can seem futile.
Cite this Entry
“Scatterbrained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scatterbrained. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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