scatterbrained
UK[ˈskætəbreɪnd]US[ˈskætərbreɪnd]
adj
tending to forget or lose things, and unable to think in an organized way or pay attention for long
Morpheme Breakdown
scatter
brain
ed
scatter
to throw loosely
brain
mind
ed
having the quality of
Etymology
the compound adjective 'scatterbrained' is a vivid english formation from the late 18th century. it creatively combines the verb 'scatter', with its sense of throwing things loosely in various directions, with 'brain', the seat of intellect and attention. the '-ed' suffix gives it the quality of possessing such a mind. the logic is transparently metaphorical: a mind whose thoughts are dispersed and unfocused, much like scattered objects, leading to the modern sense of being disorganized and forgetful.
Analysis
Structure: scatter (to throw loosely) + brain (mind) + ed (having the quality of)
scatter (middle english, from a scandinavian source, meaning to disperse); brain (old english 'brægen', meaning the organ of thought); ed (old english suffix forming adjectives from nouns, meaning 'having' or 'characterized by').
Examples
she's so scatterbrained that she often forgets where she put her keys.
his scatterbrained approach to the project resulted in several missed deadlines.
i'm feeling a bit scatterbrained today and can't seem to concentrate on my work.