devil-may-care

[dev-uhl-mey-kair]

adjective

1. reckless; careless; rollicking.

devil-may-care

adjective

1. careless or reckless; happy-go-lucky

   a devil-may-care attitude

Word History and Origins

Origin of devil-may-care¹

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

So much of Calloway’s persona rested on her brilliant ideas tempered by charming ineptitude, her devil-may-care approach to her own fame.

From Los Angeles Times

With dark blond hair and hazel eyes, Denise had a youthful beauty and hid her tough circumstances under a devil-may-care attitude.

From Los Angeles Times

So, with that history, I just threw everything into it in a kind of devil-may-care way.

From Salon

For her, Gary constructs Ron, a dashing, swaggering fellow with devil-may-care insouciance and a hint of real danger.

From Los Angeles Times

In full bedroom afterglow, her devil-may-care performance peppered scatting and swinging jazz vocals through the song’s racier lyrics.

From New York Times