Rattlepate

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person regarded as scatterbrained or frivolous in thought ; someone considered flighty or lacking seriousness ; an individual deemed to have a head full of foolish ideas
2. Someone whose mind is easily distracted or not focused ; a character who acts with little sense or responsibility ; a person marked by superficial or trivial thinking
3. An individual known for impulsive or thoughtless behavior ; someone with a reputation for silliness or carelessness ; a person prone to making decisions without much reflection

Etymology: "Rattlepate" is a plain compound: "rattle" joined to "pate," with the first word describing the second. "Pate" is an old word for the head, the top of the skull, and it survives today mostly in literary or humorous contexts. "Rattle" in the sense used here suggests something loose inside, like a dry seed pod or a pebble in a tin, so a rattlepate is a head with nothing settled or sensible rattling around in it. The sense of "rattle" as chatter or thoughtless talk (as in "rattle on") fits the same picture, since a person who talks without thinking seems to have a head that is all noise. The combination is an affectionate, slightly old-fashioned insult, the sort of word a character in an older comedy might hurl at a flighty friend.

Synonyms: scatterbrain, airhead, fool, nitwit, imbecile

Antonyms: genius, intellectual, sage, wise person