unthinking

American  

[uhn-thing-king] / ʌnˈθɪŋ kɪŋ /

adjective

1. thoughtless; heedless; inconsiderate.

   an unthinking, tactless person.

2. indicating lack of thought or reflection.

   a dull, unthinking expression on his face.

3. not endowed with the faculty of thought.

   unthinking matter.

4. not exercising thought; not given to reflection.

   This book will not profit an unthinking person.

5. not thinking; unmindful.

   chores done in an unthinking manner.

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unthinking British  

/ ʌnˈθɪŋkɪŋ /

adjective

1. lacking thoughtfulness; inconsiderate

2. heedless; inadvertent

   it was done in an unthinking moment

3. not thinking or able to think

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Other Word Forms

• unthinkingness
  noun
• unthinkingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of unthinking

First recorded in 1670–80; un- ¹ + thinking

Explanation

Something that's unthinking is done without carefully considering how it might affect other people. An unthinking comment about your best friend's haircut might really hurt her feelings. If you do something in an unthinking way, it's automatic or impulsive. Your unthinking prejudice against a certain breed of dog, for example, might be undermined when you actually meet a sweet Doberman. And your unthinking run through your Dad's flower garden to catch a football may instantly fill you with regret: if you'd stopped and thought about it, you wouldn't have done it.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unthinking

“You hold yourself accountable for saving and spending. And that in turn prevents you from aimless or unthinking financial behavior.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

For all its promise, AI risks instilling in students an unthinking yet false understanding of themselves and society, destroying the morals and habits that make human flourishing possible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 14, 2025

The piece talked down to Roan and diminished her requests as childish and unthinking — ironic for something as petulant as the column reads.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025

Mr Harvey admitted sending them a letter in April 2017 which he now acknowledged was “crass, inappropriate… unthinking and insensitive”.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2024

It was the time of adapting to unthinking obedience, of learning to carry bedpans in a stack, and remembering a fundamental rule: never walk up a ward without bringing something back.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan