careless

[ kair-lis ]
See synonyms for: carelesscarelesslycarelessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. not paying enough attention to what one does: a careless typist.

  2. not exact, accurate, or thorough: careless work.

  1. done or said heedlessly or negligently; unconsidered: a careless remark.

  2. not caring or troubling; having no care or concern; unconcerned (usually followed by of, about, or in): careless of the rights of others;careless about one's behavior;careless in speech.

  3. possessed or caused without effort or art; unstudied: careless beauty.

  4. Archaic. free from anxiety.

Origin of careless

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English carlēas; see care, -less

Other words for careless

Opposites for careless

Other words from careless

  • care·less·ly, adverb
  • care·less·ness, noun
  • o·ver·care·less, adjective
  • o·ver·care·less·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use careless in a sentence

  • But the reporting, based on the same vague words, carelessly checked and sourced, remains unchanged.

  • And while it believes in limited government, it is not carelessly antigovernment.

  • It was only a hut of rough boards, carelessly knocked together for a shepherd's temporary home.

    Ramona | Helen Hunt Jackson
  • Thinking it was a request for employment which he could not offer, Malcolm stuffed it carelessly into a pocket.

    The Red Year | Louis Tracy
  • The tall man stands with folded arms, and looks carelessly round the room, and at Uncle David among the rest.

    Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
  • I strongly suspect a pretty girl in the party somewhere,' he observed carelessly.

    The Wave | Algernon Blackwood
  • "I think I'll stroll down to the tavern and see this stranger," I replied carelessly.

British Dictionary definitions for careless

careless

/ (ˈkɛəlɪs) /


adjective
  1. done with or acting with insufficient attention; negligent

  2. (often foll by in, of, or about) unconcerned in attitude or action; heedless; indifferent (to): she's very careless about her clothes

  1. (usually prenominal) carefree

  2. (usually prenominal) unstudied; artless: an impression of careless elegance

Derived forms of careless

  • carelessly, adverb
  • carelessness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012