NYT Dictionary

BRAINIAC

/ˈbɹeɪniæk/

NounBRAINI-acbraini-ac · 2 syllablesCollege

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2018, 2019

Meaning

A very intelligent and usually studious, erudite person.

Etymology

Origin: Unknown

Blend of brain + maniac, with influence from ENIAC, the name of an early computer. The term was coined as the name of the fictional supervillain Brainiac in the Superman series and first appeared in Action Comics comic book #242 in July, 1958. By surface analysis, brainy + -ac.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

geniuspedantsmart-asswiseguymastermindbraineinsteinwonder

Antonyms

dufusdumb-assdumboidiotignoramus

NYT Puzzle Appearances

No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2018, 2019.