racking one's brain
Struggling to remember
To rack one's brain is to strain mentally, searching hard for a memory, solution, or idea that won't come easily: I've been racking my brain trying to remember her name.
The image is of the medieval torture device that stretched the body—here applied to mental effort.
Also spelled wracking one's brain, though purists prefer rack.
- head-scratchingCausing bewilderment or confusion
- thinking capMetaphorical concentration aid
- trial-and-errorSolving by successive approximation
- memory retrievalAccessing stored mental information
- mental effortCognitive labor applied deliberately
mental gymnastics · deep in thought · lost in thought · frustration · hitting a wall · analytical thinking · lateral thinking · overthinking · recollection · on the tip of my tongue · determination · pondering · deduction · creative thinking · confusion · concentration · intellectual labor · introspection
racking one's brainspacing out
Losing focus temporarily
daydreaming · zoning out · woolgathering · intuiting · switching off
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