need one's head examined

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Indicating that a person is very foolish, or making a stupid decision.

Register: derogatory, slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

You paid how much for that piece of junk? You need your head examined!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “need one's head examined” mean?

Indicating that a person is very foolish, or making a stupid decision.

Is “need one's head examined” formal or informal?

need one's head examined is generally derogatory, slang.