blithe

American  

[blahyth, blahyth] / blaɪð, blaɪθ /

adjective

blither, blithest

1. without thought or regard; carefree; heedless.

   a blithe indifference to anyone's feelings.

2. joyous, merry, or happy in disposition; glad; cheerful.

   Everyone loved her for her blithe spirit.

   Synonyms:

   blithesome, joyful, buoyant, lighthearted, sprightly, mirthful, happy

   Antonyms:

   joyless

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blithe British  

/ blaɪð /

adjective

1. very happy or cheerful

2. heedless; casual and indifferent

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• blithefully
  adverb
• blitheness
  noun
• blithely
  adverb
• overblithe
  adjective
• blitheful
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of blithe

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English blīthe; cognate with Old Norse blīthr, Old High German blīdi, Gothic bleiths

Explanation

The adjective blithe used to mean happy and carefree, but over time it has also come to describe someone who isn't paying attention the way they should. If you have a blithe disregard for authority, you might just smile vaguely when a teacher is yelling at you and continue writing on the lockers with a Sharpie. If you're dancing to music while driving, and pass blithely through a red light, chances are you will be pulled over and given either a ticket or a lecture.

Related Words

• carefree
• jaunty
• jovial
• lighthearted
• sprightly