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.
But then he literally creates a monster, and the whole enterprise becomes utterly reckless and irresponsible and all about his own sort of grandiosity.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
It was a matter of timing for many people, not reckless abandon as the mortgage loan officer would like us to believe.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
“We’re not reckless, we’re picky and we’re aggressive.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Anna Turley, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, called Abdela a "reckless criminal" who had been "rightly jailed".
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Which would be the wildest, most reckless, worst idea ever.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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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.
