haphazardly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of haphazardly
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."
Vocabulary lists containing haphazardly
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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.
Disney taught L.A. the joy of architecture in a way many of us had never known in this haphazardly built town.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
But prosecutors allege she "professionalised" a way to divert EU funds first introduced haphazardly by her late father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, after she took over its leadership from him in 2011.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
The movie is well-written but haphazardly made, with some choppy editing and a soundtrack of Cheech & Chong original songs that frequently drown out the dialogue to the point of irritation.
From Salon ● Apr. 18, 2026
Eight years later he was discovered asleep in a haphazardly parked car 15 miles from his Florida home.
From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026
And while hammers pounded and sawdust filled the air, Milton acquainted himself with the papers and deeds Lefty had haphazardly kept in a cigar box beneath the register.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
