at random

Idioms  

1. Without order or fixed purpose, haphazardly, as in Jackson Pollock dropped paints on canvas seemingly at random. Originally this phrase meant “very speedily” and “heedlessly.” Shakespeare had the present usage in 1 Henry VI (5:3): “He talks at random; sure the man is mad.” [Late 1500s]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at random

There, again, if enough people pick stocks at random, some of them will make a fortune through sheer chance.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The first enzyme cuts the long polymer chains at random points, reducing them into shorter sections.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

He tested portfolios consisting of 100 stocks, 50 stocks, 25 stocks, five stocks and only one stock, drawn at random from the S&P 500.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Apparently at random, Evans broke into a Jeep Wagoneer rented by a choreographer and dancer for Beyoncé on 8 July 2025, as the singer's Cowboy Carter tour was coming to Atlanta.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

Enormous ice monuments tower in the landscape, erupting from the glacier at random intervals.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

Related Words

• aimlessly
• frantically
• indiscriminately
• instinctively
• madly
• wildly