careless
Americanadjective
-
not paying enough attention to what one does.
a careless typist.
- Synonyms:
- reckless, indiscreet, unwary, incautious, inattentive
- Antonyms:
- careful
-
not exact, accurate, or thorough.
careless work.
- Synonyms:
- negligent, inaccurate
- Antonyms:
- careful
-
done or said heedlessly or negligently; unconsidered.
a careless remark.
- Synonyms:
- unmindful, unthoughtful
- Antonyms:
- careful
-
not caring or troubling; having no care or concern; unconcerned (usually followed by of, about, orin ).
careless of the rights of others;
careless about one's behavior;
careless in speech.
- Synonyms:
- inconsiderate, forgetful, thoughtless
- Antonyms:
- careful
-
possessed or caused without effort or art; unstudied.
careless beauty.
-
Archaic. free from anxiety.
adjective
-
done with or acting with insufficient attention; negligent
-
unconcerned in attitude or action; heedless; indifferent (to)
she's very careless about her clothes
-
(usually prenominal) carefree
-
(usually prenominal) unstudied; artless
an impression of careless elegance
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of careless
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English carlēas; see care, -less
Explanation
When you're careless about something, you're not giving it much attention or consideration. If you're careless about mowing the lawn, you might mow over your mother's prized daffodils without even noticing. When you say, "I couldn't care less" about something, you're probably going to be pretty careless about it, too. If you couldn’t care less about your homework, then you'll approach it in a careless manner, without much thought or concentration. Careless is negative, but it’s a little less so when it means effortless and unstudied, the way you might bat away a bug with a careless swat. Interestingly, the root meaning of care is "grief," so careless is "without grief."
Vocabulary lists containing careless
Power Suffix: -less
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -less
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
-less
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Sacoolas admitted causing death by careless driving at a virtual court hearing in December 2022 and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for a year.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Beneficiary-designation mistakes are among the most common and costly errors in estate planning, and they happen to careful planners just as often as careless ones.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Tiger Woods pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of careless and reckless driving stemming from a rollover car crash in Florida in March and had his driver's license suspended for five years.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Unerringly, they blame a sloppy and careless press or an ignorant public for failing to understand.
From Slate ● Jul. 2, 2026
Euler was an excellent mathematician—in fact, he was one of the most prolific and influential in history—but in this case the careless manipulation of zero and infinity led him astray.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
