careless

adjective

care·​less ˈker-ləs 

1

a

: free from care : untroubled

careless days

b

: indifferent, unconcerned

careless of the consequences

2

: not taking care

My brother was too careless of his charge.

—William Shakespeare

3

: not showing or receiving care:

a

: negligent, slovenly

careless writing

b

: unstudied, spontaneous

a careless grace

a careless glance

c

obsolete : unvalued, disregarded

carelessly adverb

carelessness noun

Synonyms of careless

• unsafe
• reckless
• regardless

Examples of careless in a Sentence

He is a careless worker.

She was careless with my things.

It was a careless mistake.

a newspaper known for careless reporting

Recent Examples on the Web

And a careless, reckless driver takes everybody's lives in his hands and just ended this night in a situation that's never going to be the same for these individuals. —NPR, 8 Nov. 2025

He was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and was later issued a summons for no insurance, careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, officials said. —Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Nov. 2025

Jenkins’ fumble was due to careless ball-handling, although two members of his offensive line got bull-rushed, leading to the pressure. —Walter Villa, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2025

One person was cited for careless driving after a fiery crash between two semitrucks closed Interstate 70 in Aurora for several hours Friday morning. —Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for careless

• airless
• hairless

Kids Definition

careless

adjective

care·​less ˈke(ə)r-ləs 

ˈka(ə)r-

1

: free from care : not troubled

2

: not taking proper care

a careless worker

3

: done, made, or said without proper care

a careless mistake

carelessly adverb

carelessness noun

Legal Definition

careless

adjective

care·​less

: not showing due care : negligent

careless driving

compare reckless