adjective
Other Word Forms
- carefreeness noun
Etymology
Origin of carefree
Explanation
To be carefree is to be free of care! You have no troubles or worries. Being carefree is feeling happy and breezy, like the carefree days of summer before school starts. To be carefree (one word) is to be happy and relaxed. People tend to be carefree when they're not working or thinking about work or school. Being carefree is the opposite of being stressed out. Carefree is not the same thing as careless — when you’re carefree, you haven't a care in the world and you might dance in a field of daisies. If you’re careless, you’re probably stomping on someone’s garden.
Vocabulary lists containing carefree
Smiley Face: Synonyms for "Happy"
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The Night Diary
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Gordon Lightfoot (1938–2023) Tribute List
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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.
I get it — part of having fun is being carefree.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
Then she conquered the ice that has long melted U.S. skaters with one of the most carefree attitudes ever shown by any elite athlete.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
The vivid language of the novel ‘Playworld’ evokes the carefree early ’80s, centering on the freedoms and seemingly low-stakes perils of their Manhattan.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
Because of the carefree way Alcaraz plays, it can be misconstrued as him not caring.
From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026
Rachel seemed happy as ever and carefree as a kitten.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
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.
