reckless
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reckless
First recorded before 900; Middle English rekles, Old English reccelēas “careless” (cognate with German ruchlos ); see reck, -less
Explanation
If you are reckless, you don't think or care about the consequences of your words or actions, like a reckless driver who speeds while texting, knitting, and eating a sandwich. The word reckless comes from the Old English word receleas, meaning "careless, thoughtless, heedless." If you have a reckless attitude, you aren't concerned about what happens to yourself or others who are affected by your actions. In this usage, reckless is the opposite of considerate. Reckless friends will invite people you don't know to your house because with your parents away, it's party time. Surprise!
Vocabulary lists containing reckless
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 4
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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Anti-Antonyms: Words Without Opposites
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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.
Meanwhile, in American Fork, protesters last Saturday marched from a downtown park to the police station chanting “Brick by Brick,” joined by Reckless Ben himself.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Reckless indifference is displayed when someone acts with “a blatant disregard for the potential consequences of their actions,” even if those actions create a substantial risk of death or serious injury to others.
From Slate • Aug. 8, 2025
And Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless each won those by-elections for UKIP.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2024
The longtime lead singer of rock band the Pretty Reckless was 13 when the first season of “Gossip Girl” premiered and 17 when she was dropped as a series regular upon her request.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2023
“Who am I to believe? A Re’lar of three years, or an E’lir of two months? A scriv in my employ, or an unfamiliar student found guilty of Reckless Use of Sympathy?”
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
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.
