Standard Lemma guide

scatterbrained

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈskætə(ɹ)ˌbɹeɪnd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having the qualities of a scatterbrain: absent-minded, forgetful, easily distracted.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

guided by whim and fancy

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • flighty young girls

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: flighty, flyaway, head-in-the-clouds

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

lacking sense or discretion- Glenway Westcott

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • his rattlebrained crackpot ideas
  • how rattlepated I am! I've forgotten what I came for

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rattlebrained, rattlepated, scatty

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From scatter + brained.

Across languages

Translations

27 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вятърничав (vjatǎrničav) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Bulgarian: лекомислен (lekomislen) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Czech: lehkomyslný — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Czech: roztržitý — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Czech: popletený — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Czech: zmatený — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Czech: roztěkaný — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Esperanto: ventanima — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Finnish: hajamielinen — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • French: écervelé — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • German: nachlässig — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • German: vergesslich — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Japanese: おっちょこちょい (otchokochoi) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Macedonian: леко́мислен (lekómislen) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Macedonian: вете́ринчав (vetérinčav) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Norman: êcoquevilyi — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Persian: کالیو (kâliv) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Polish: roztrzepany — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Russian: рассе́янный (rasséjannyj) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Russian: легкомы́сленный (lexkomýslennyj) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Russian: мозги́ набекре́нь (mozgí nabekrénʹ) — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Swedish: tankspridd — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Swedish: virrig — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Swedish: tanklös — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Turkish: ebleh — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Turkish: alık — having the qualities of scatterbrain
  • Turkish: bön — having the qualities of scatterbrain