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Synonyms

haphazardly

American  
[hap-haz-erd-lee] / hæpˈhæz ərd li /

adverb

  1. in a haphazard manner; at random.


Etymology

Origin of haphazardly

First recorded in 1885–90; haphazard + -ly

Explanation

Something done haphazardly seems completely random, like your little sister's collage of pictures cut carelessly from a magazine and haphazardly glued all over a piece of poster board. The adverb haphazardly is good for describing something done in an unplanned or random way without concern for the outcome; for example, you might put silverware away by haphazardly tossing it in a drawer, or plant a crazy garden with flowers haphazardly placed here and there around the yard. Haphazardly combines hap, meaning "chance," with hazard, or "danger."

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Vocabulary lists containing haphazardly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Haphazardly providing the public with a long list of controls without any order or logic is confusing and harmful.

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2021

Haphazardly established in the 1960s, the massive garbage pile was never trenched or lined, and no one knows what might be leaking from the dump into the ground.

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2019

Haphazardly this morning, I thought I'd type her name into YouTube.

From The Guardian • Feb. 8, 2013

Haphazardly laid patches of flour led the way around the Tidal Basin.

From Washington Post

Haphazardly as she had been educated in this new land, her natural intelligence had found nutrition in her father’s mind and library.

From A Daughter of the Vine by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn