rashness

American  

[rash-nis] / ˈræʃ nɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of acting or tending to act hastily or without due consideration.

   It was an act of rashness and presumption.

   Enthusiasm is welcome but rashness and smugness are undesirable.

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Etymology

Origin of rashness

rash ¹ ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Explanation

Acting without carefully considering the consequences is rashness. If you impulsively jump off the roof of the shed into a pile of leaves, you may regret your rashness. Rashness is a kind of carelessness, a failure to think about how your actions might harm yourself or someone else. Your rashness can result in hurt feelings, if you blurt out every thought without considering the effects, or in making your parents mad, if you impulsively paint the living room hot pink. Rashness comes from rash, "proceeding from a lack of consideration of consequences," a Scottish word originally meaning "nimble or quick."

Example Sentences

A manager, that for all the rashness and wrath of the past, some team-mates say is answering his calling.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2025

In true teen fashion, Alice's rashness led to bad decision-making but "Shrinking" never scolds her for her pain or choices.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2024

A case was registered against Sharma by the New Delhi police for "rashness and negligent driving" said Reuters TV partner ANI.

From Reuters • Mar. 13, 2022

But we have choices about how we absorb what’s happened, about the rashness with which we point fingers.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 9, 2016

They feared that the Frenchman’s restless style might compel her to rashness, but Celia hid her music to La Soiree dans Grenade and played . it incessantly while Jorge traveled.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García