recklessly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of recklessly
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a reassurance that Mr. Warsh won’t move recklessly.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
“The attorneys knowingly or recklessly made false statements to this Court.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
Your friend could petition the court to remove her sister as trustee or POA holder, if the sister did indeed act unethically or recklessly.
From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026
Celebrities who behave recklessly don’t deserve our respect.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
That night, at last, she started to write, recklessly, three, five pages, looking up once only to see her father passing by the hall on tiptoe.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions 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.
