English Reference
Idiom idiom

brain surgery


Anything overly complex, detailed, or confusing.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Setting up this new phone is not exactly brain surgery.

CONTEXTUAL

You just need to follow the basic instructions; it is not brain surgery, so you will finish quickly.

COMPLEX

While the software update requires some patience and careful attention to detail, it is hardly brain surgery, and most users should manage it without professional assistance.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beat one's brain

    To struggle to think or remember something.

  2. 02

    beat someone's brains out

    To beat someone very severely (especially in the head).

  3. 03

    bend the brain

    To be difficult to comprehend.

  4. 04

    bird of one's own brain

    One's own idea or conception.

  5. 05

    blow someone's brains out

    To perform fellatio on another person, as to give them an orgasmic experience.

  6. 06

    brain blast

    The moment of a sudden unexpected discovery.

  7. 07

    brain bucket

    A protective helmet, as worn, for example, by a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or soldier in combat.

  8. 08

    brain candy

    A narrative, commentary, etc. which amuses and holds one's attention, but which lacks intellectual depth or importance.

Last updated August 10, 2026