wantonly

American  

[won-tn-lee] / ˈwɒn tn li /

adverb

1. willfully and thoughtlessly; recklessly.

   We wantonly destroy the ecosystem that gives us life when we take out more than it can afford to give.

2. without regard for what is right, just, or humane; maliciously and unjustifiably.

   Those who wantonly and cruelly beat, abuse, or ill-treat these animals will be punished.

3. in a sensually loose or unrestrained way.

   A single day lived virtuously is worth more than a hundred years lived wantonly and without discipline.

4. in an extravagant or excessively luxurious way.

   Nations cannot continue to spend wantonly, hoping for a bailout that may not come.

5. in a prolific or uncontrolled way.

   A swarm of Asian carp are advancing up the Illinois River, breeding wantonly and gorging on plankton.

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Etymology

Origin of wantonly

wanton ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"He chose to take whatever information he had and attempted to sell it to a foreign intelligence service thereby, wantonly, putting myself, my family and ultimately the country at risk."

From BBC

When Chernin’s Leo raises his voice in Jewish prayer before he is hanged, the memory of a man whose life was wantonly destroyed is momentarily restored.

From Los Angeles Times

At its unveiling, Mr Downey said the new version had been designed to be "as solid as possible, out of a durable material which cannot be wantonly destroyed".

From BBC

And it would benefit us, too, to stop wantonly crushing cetaceans with our boats.

From Salon

"Then, with its stock price crumbling under the weight of its own mismanagement, circled the wagons to protect its new leaders and wantonly accused" Mr Lynch of fraud, they wrote.

From BBC

Related Words

• blatantly
• brazenly
• candidly
• flagrantly
• forthrightly
• fully
• honestly
• plainly
• publicly
• readily
• simply
• unabashedly
• unashamedly
• willingly