noun
Common
brains
braynz
Brains (noun) means Mental ability or intelligence. Example: “He has plenty of brains, but he is too shy to speak up in class.”
noun
1
Mental ability or intelligence.
"Sadly, I got my brains from my mom and my looks from the mailman."
"He has plenty of brains, but he is too shy to speak up in class."
"You don't need a degree to have brains and good common sense."
"It took real brains to solve that puzzle so fast."
"It was true that he had the muscles of an ox and the stamina of an ox, the trouble was that he seemed to have the brains of an ox."
— Terry Pratchett, The Light Fantastic (1986)
2
The person or people responsible for the ideas and planning behind something.
"Everyone knew my uncle was the brains behind the family's small bakery."
"The brains of the project were two students who worked late every night."
"She's the brains of the whole operation."
How to use brains
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCleverness, or the clever person driving a plan.
Common pairings
use your brains
the brains behind
brains and brawn
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like brains.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
He has plenty of _____, but he is too shy to speak up in class.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for brains
See all rhymes for brains →Frequently asked questions
What does “brains” mean?
The word “brains” means mental ability or intelligence. In plain terms, cleverness, or the clever person driving a plan.
How do you pronounce “brains”?
“Brains” is pronounced braynz (/bɹeɪnz/ in IPA).
How do you use “brains” in a sentence?
Here is “brains” used in a sentence: “It took real brains to solve that puzzle so fast.”
What part of speech is “brains”?
“Brains” is a noun.
Is “brains” a common word?
“Brains” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “brains” have?
“Brains” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: mental ability or intelligence.
Is brains singular or plural?
Brains is plural in form, and in the sense of intelligence it behaves like a plural noun: 'use your brains.' But when it means the person behind the ideas and planning, it names a single individual despite the plural form: 'he is the brains of the outfit.' Both patterns are standard English.
What is the difference between brains and brawn?
Brains stands for mental ability and intelligence; brawn stands for physical strength. The pairing is proverbial — 'brains over brawn' argues that cleverness beats muscle, and 'the brains and the brawn' divides a team into its thinker and its strongman. Someone described as 'all brawn and no brains' is strong but slow-witted.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include brains:
