recklessly

American  

[rek-lis-lee] / ˈrɛk lɪs li /

adverb

1. with no concern about the consequences of one's action; carelessly.

   He lived recklessly, without any regard for his own safety or the safety of others.

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Etymology

Origin of recklessly

reckless ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Acting recklessly means doing something without stopping to think about the consequences of your action. If you recklessly throw a football near your neighbor's house, you may end up paying to repair a broken window. The adverb recklessly is nearly the same as carelessly, with one difference: doing something recklessly implies that your action is potentially dangerous in some way. Driving recklessly is always a terrible idea, as is recklessly spending every last dollar in your bank account. This risky word can be traced back to the Old English receleas, "careless, thoughtless, or heedless."

Example Sentences

These are delicate waters to splash around in so recklessly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Celebrities who behave recklessly don’t deserve our respect.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The organiser of Sala's flight, David Henderson, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in November 2021 after he was found guilty of recklessly endangering the safety of an aircraft.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Howson did not properly address the risks and was knowingly involved in the firm's sharing of potentially false or misleading information, therefore acting "recklessly", the FCA added.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

In the jury trial, Baird argued that the defendant drove recklessly even after knowing his brakes were bad.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• carelessly
• foolishly