haphazardly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of haphazardly
Explanation
Something done haphazardly seems completely random, like your little sister's collage of pictures cut carelessly from a magazine and haphazardly glued all over a piece of poster board. The adverb haphazardly is good for describing something done in an unplanned or random way without concern for the outcome; for example, you might put silverware away by haphazardly tossing it in a drawer, or plant a crazy garden with flowers haphazardly placed here and there around the yard. Haphazardly combines hap, meaning "chance," with hazard, or "danger."
Vocabulary lists containing haphazardly
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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 regulatory system designed to protect farmworkers from pesticides is enforced haphazardly across California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
AI models have been rolled out quickly and haphazardly across the wider internet.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
But prosecutors allege she "professionalised" a way to divert EU funds first introduced haphazardly by her late father, party co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, after she took over its leadership from him in 2011.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
But Suchet says the e-scooters - part of a shared transport scheme introduced in 2021 - are still parked haphazardly around the area, blocking pavements.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
“I know who my opponent is,” Marco says, pulling armfuls of books down from their shelves and spreading them out haphazardly over tables, leaving several in messy piles on the floor.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
