reckless abandon

American  

[rek-lis uh-ban-duhn] / ˈrɛk lɪs əˈbæn dən /

noun

1. unrestrained surrender to impulse or passion, without regard for convention, appearances, good sense, or risk.

   He played with reckless abandon, his enthusiasm for the game flowing from his every pore.

   With this data deal you'll be able to stream movies and music with reckless abandon.

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Commonly Confused

See reckless abandonment ( def. ).

Etymology

Origin of reckless abandon

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Last time you and I spoke, you told me you you’d learned to pursue your art with less of the reckless abandon of your youth.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2025

He and his enablers are following through on this plan with reckless abandon.

From Salon • May 1, 2025

These days, they’re practically inescapable in the replies to many users’ posts and are firing off direct messages with reckless abandon.

From Slate • Jun. 12, 2024

The Premier League and its fellow travelers in what might be described as the transfer industrial complex have spent decades hooking fans on a constant diet of teams’ hurling money around with reckless abandon.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2024

He told me this while ripping through his duffel bag, throwing clothes into drawers with reckless abandon.

From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green