brainy

adjective

ˈbrā-nē How to pronounce brainy (audio)
Definition of brainynext
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind a brainy student who didn't fit in socially

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brainy His shock engagement to Sarita (Hannah Simone), the brainy, beautiful sister of de facto trooper leader Thorny (director Jay Chandrasekhar), pits brother against family and bro against bro, even if Farva doesn’t register his colleague’s disgust. — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026 False morels look more brainy than real morels, often with more wrinkles, folds, and channels than true pores. — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2026 There’s also hints of vulnerability and genuine tenderness in her stern headmistress of the bedroom, which Wilde slips in just slyly enough to let the presence of a heart peek through all the brainy brashness and hormone overload. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 July 2026 Octopuses are as clever, in their own way, as such famously brainy animals as crows, dolphins or chimpanzees. — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for brainy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brainy
  1. intelligent
  2. clever
  3. smart
  4. quick
  5. brilliant
  6. fast
Adjective
  • Legitimate concerns about abuse can be mitigated through intelligent regulation, not by eliminating a long-standing policing tool.
    — Rafael A. Mangual, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026
  • View gallery - 3 images There was a time when intelligent rings were what your level-three wizard wore in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • By upgrading synthetic skin from a passive sensor into an energy harvester, the Fudan team offers a clever alternative to deadweight batteries.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Halloween is sneaking up frighteningly fast, which means the window for coming up with a genuinely clever costume is closing at an alarming rate.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of clever
Adjective
  • There will always be smart people, tech people, who don't have the world's best interests in mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And now there is Trudie’s Tavern, which opened this past summer in Carroll Gardens, a smart little restaurant that’s the most ambitious, and the most accomplished, of the three.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • Set the scene My Uber ride from Santa Fe’s Regional Airport was a quick 15 minutes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The activewear market has been especially quick to adopt these changes.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of quick
Adjective
  • Through the sheer force of his will and his brilliant comedic timing, Bratton was elevated to a cast member by the second season.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Read Cep’s Profile of Kingsolver » Our editors and critics choose the most captivating, notable, brilliant, surprising, absorbing, weird, thought-provoking, and talked-about books.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of brilliant
Adjective
  • The service As elsewhere in Bahia, service is warm and friendly—albeit not quite as fast and efficient as city-dwellers may expect.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The models have become much more capable; the pace of improvement from model to model is faster; and the stakes are much higher.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fast

Browse Nearby Words

brain waves
brainy
braise
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Cite this Entry

“Brainy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brainy. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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