Meaning & use
shit for brains
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseoffensivevulgar
A very rude way of describing someone as extremely stupid, as if their head held waste instead of a brain.
Grammar: Used mainly after have or as a label for a person; it is always an insult.
Patterns
- have shit for brains
- someone has shit for brains
Angry drivers sometimes shout that another driver has shit for brains.
The film character calls his partner a man with shit for brains.
Using the phrase shit for brains in a meeting would be seen as offensive.
Common combinations
- have shit for brains
- In the argument, he said his rival had shit for brains.
- accuse someone of having shit for brains
- She was warned for accusing a colleague of having shit for brains.
- call someone shit for brains
- Calling a coworker shit for brains would get you a formal warning.
- say someone has shit for brains
- He muttered that the referee had shit for brains.
Synonyms and how they differ
- idiot
- Less vulgar, and it can be used even in mild criticism.
- blockhead
- Is old-fashioned and almost playful, whereas shit for brains is harsh and crude.
- moron
- Also an insult, but without the vulgar word and imagery.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
Which describes how a dictionary should label shit for brains?
Choose one answer.
The phrase insults someone's intelligence using a crude word, so it is a vulgar insult. It is not praise or technical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shit for brains”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.