adjective
Other Word Forms
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"
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!
The Night Diary
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!
Gordon Lightfoot (1938–2023) Tribute List
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.
Like pretty much every good, bad and ludicrous shark film ever, “The Devil’s Mouth” opens with carefree revels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The carefree, sweat-drenched timelessness of Madonna’s new music couldn’t help but scratch against a very timely problem: Everything’s really bad, and finding space to let yourself forget that is increasingly difficult.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
It could have been in 2023, but his team were too carefree until it was too late.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
The Appleseed myth reached a high point in 1948, when Walt Disney released an animated musical film about a gentle soul who spent his days “workin’, singin’, carefree, and gay.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Books remind her of her and Kat, but also of her old self, too, the mostly carefree self.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
