Crackbrains

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person regarded as mentally unsound or eccentric; someone who exhibits unusual or irrational behavior; an individual perceived as lacking sound judgment
2. An individual considered to have a disturbed or quirky mind; one whose thoughts or actions are bizarre or unpredictable; a person thought to be mentally unstable
3. Someone seen as exhibiting crazy or irrational mental activity; a person who acts in a highly unconventional or nonsensical way; an individual believed to be out of touch with rational thought

Etymology: "Crackbrains" is the plural of "crackbrain," a compound formed from "crack" and "brain." The first element here is the sense of "crack" meaning a flaw or fracture, the same idea as a crack in a cup or a wall, and it was applied to a mind that had split or lost its soundness, as if the thinking organ had cracked like crockery. The pairing of "crack" with a body part follows a pattern in English, where "crack" in the sense of a fault or flaw attaches readily to personal qualities. A "crackbrain" is therefore someone whose mind is cracked, meaning unsound, eccentric, or unstable in judgment. The plural names a group of such people, and the word is used mainly in informal, somewhat dismissive speech.

Synonyms: eccentrics, madmen, lunatics, crackpots, fanatics

Antonyms: sane, rational, normal, sensible, wise