feather-pated
Definition
- Adjective:
- Foolish or lacking intelligence: "feather-pated" describes someone who is silly, scatterbrained, or lacking in mental sharpness. The term derives from the idea of having a head filled with feathers, implying lightness or emptiness of thought.
Usage Examples
- (He was thought to be too foolish or lacking in intelligence for the task.)
- (Her silly, thoughtless comments undermined her credibility.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be feather-pated": to be habitually foolish or frivolous.
- The court jester was deliberately feather-pated, entertaining the king with his nonsense. (The jester acted foolish as part of his role.)
Variants and Related Words
- Feather-pate (noun): a foolish or silly person.
- Don't listen to that feather-pate; he knows nothing about the subject. (Don't heed that foolish person.)
- Feather-headed (adj): synonymous with "feather-pated"; meaning silly or empty-headed.
- She was too feather-headed to remember the simple instructions. (She was too scatterbrained.)
Synonyms
- Silly: lacking good sense or judgment; foolish.
- Scatterbrained: unable to concentrate or think clearly; flighty.
- Frivolous: not having any serious purpose or value; carefree and silly.
Related Idioms
- A feather-brain: a person who is foolish or lacks intelligence.
- He's such a feather-brain; he forgot his own birthday. (He is very foolish.)
- Light in the head: dizzy or silly; lacking seriousness.
- After the long flight, she felt light in the head and said odd things. (She felt confused or silly.)