What does featherbrain mean?
Featherbrain is a rare, old-fashioned English noun meaning a silly, thoughtless, or frivolous person. It was used as a disparaging label for someone regarded as empty-headed, incapable of serious thought, or foolishly inattentive. The word combines “feather,” suggesting something light and insubstantial, with “brain,” representing intelligence or common sense. Its image is memorable because it portrays the person as having a brain supposedly made of feathers rather than solid material. Although encountered in older literature, featherbrain is not normally used in contemporary everyday English; “birdbrain” or “fool” would usually be more natural in modern speech. When deliberately chosen in dialogue or humorous prose, it can convey an exaggerated, old-fashioned insult, but its rarity may also draw attention to the speaker’s wording.
nounA silly, thoughtless, or frivolous person. The term is now rare and chiefly literary or historical.
- A foolish, thoughtless, or frivolous person.
"His rivals dismissed him as a featherbrain with no more sense than a sparrow."
"The featherbrain forgot the letter entirely and went home without posting it."
"In the old play, the boastful featherbrain is left to face the consequences of his own vanity."
The regular plural is featherbrains, although the word itself is rarely used in modern English.
"The story portrayed a pair of featherbrains who believed every boast they heard."
The name turns a vague insult into a wonderfully physical image: a brain as light and insubstantial as a feather.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does featherbrain come from?
Featherbrain is an English compound formed from “feather” and “brain.” The two elements create an image of a person whose intellect is light, insubstantial, or lacking substance. The compound belongs to a family of old English expressions that portray foolishness through physical weakness or emptiness.
Related word forms
How featherbrain is actually used
Featherbrain is a rare, dated, and somewhat literary word. It may sound faintly playful in humorous writing, but traditionally carries a strongly disparaging, derogatory force. Birdbrain is the usual modern alternative.
Easily confused with featherbrain
Both are insulting terms for a foolish person, but featherbrain is older and now largely literary, whereas birdbrain remains common and is often used teasingly or affectionately.