devil-may-care
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of devil-may-care
First recorded in 1785–95
Vocabulary lists containing devil-may-care
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.
The lime-green background and blurry typography on the cover of her sixth album, “Brat,” quickly became internet shorthand for the season’s pursuit of devil-may-care indulgence and personal adventure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
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 ● Sep. 26, 2025
Gone, too, was the shrugging, devil-may-care plausible deniability.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2024
The video went viral, and “Ivan,” whose identity was then not known, was widely rebuked for his devil-may-care attitude.
From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2023
Johnny looked like a handsome, devil-may-care Irish boy instead of the husband of a scrubwoman and the father of two children who were always hungry.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
