no-brainer

noun

An easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution; something requiring little or no thought.

“This next exam question is a no-brainer.”

OriginEnglish brain ← Middle English brayn ← Old English bræġn →
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Meanings

nounno-brainer (plural no-brainers)

plural no-brainers · alternative no brainer · alternative nobrainer

  1. informalAn easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution; something requiring little or no thought.

    Choosing the older version which was as good as the newer version for half the cost was a no-brainer.

    1 more example

    "Babcock [an engineering services company with a facility at Rosyth] has new contracts for new frigates there, so opening up the opportunities for rail running in is a no-brainer."

    2019 November 20, Graeme Pickering, “Plans breathing new life into Fife”, in Rail, page 49
  2. informalA conundrum requiring little or no thought to solve; A problem with an easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution.

    This next exam question is a no-brainer.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
cakewalkdoddleplain sailingsummer holidaywalk in the park

Origin

  1. Englishno
  2. Proto-Indo-European*mregʰ-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s
  4. Proto-Germanic*bragną
  5. Proto-West Germanic*bragn
  6. Old Englishbræġn
  7. Middle Englishbrayn
  8. Englishbrain
  9. Englishno-brainer

From no + brain + -er.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 明顯 /明显[嘅決定]
  • 明顯 /明显[嘅決定] (ming⁴ hin²)an easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Chinese Mandarin 明顯 /明显[的決定]
  • 明顯 /明显[的決定] (míngxiǎn)an easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Czech není žádná věda
  • není žádná vědaan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Finnish itsestäänselvyys
  • itsestäänselvyysan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
French évidence
  • évidencean easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
German Selbstläufer, einfache Sache
  • Selbstläuferan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
  • einfache Sachean easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
  • klare Sachean easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
  • klarer Fallan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
  • sonnenklaran easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Italian bazzecola
  • bazzecolaan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Russian не бино́м Ньюто́на, ежу́ поня́тно
  • не бино́м Ньюто́на (ne binóm Nʹjutóna)an easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
  • ежу́ поня́тно (ježú ponjátno)an easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Spanish obviedad
  • obviedadan easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Swedish solklar
  • solklaran easy or obvious conclusion, decision, solution, task (idiomatic)
Cite this entry
APA

no-brainer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no-brainer

MLA

“no-brainer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no-brainer. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “no-brainer,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/no-brainer.

Source: no-brainer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.