recklessly

American  

[rek-lis-lee] / ˈrɛk lɪs li /

adverb

1. with no concern about the consequences of one's action; carelessly.

   He lived recklessly, without any regard for his own safety or the safety of others.

---

Etymology

Origin of recklessly

reckless ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Acting recklessly means doing something without stopping to think about the consequences of your action. If you recklessly throw a football near your neighbor's house, you may end up paying to repair a broken window. The adverb recklessly is nearly the same as carelessly, with one difference: doing something recklessly implies that your action is potentially dangerous in some way. Driving recklessly is always a terrible idea, as is recklessly spending every last dollar in your bank account. This risky word can be traced back to the Old English receleas, "careless, thoughtless, or heedless."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recklessly

“Altus and Pearce deliberately ignored Lineage’s request, prematurely re-energized the solar array, and negligently and recklessly caused this devastating Fire,” the suit reads.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

If you were found to have acted recklessly with her money or investments, engaged in self-dealing, or otherwise misused estate or trust assets, you could face serious legal consequences.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

The researchers concluded that these participants were not simply behaving more recklessly.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

For police, AVs have their upsides: Most of the time they drive less recklessly than humans do, they typically cap their maximum speeds, and they never fail a breathalyzer test.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"They say my brother Robb always goes where the fighting is thickest," she said recklessly.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• carelessly
• foolishly