heedless

adjective

heed·​less ˈhēd-ləs How to pronounce heedless (audio)
: not taking heed : inconsiderate, thoughtless
heedless follies of unbridled youthJohn DeBruyn
heedlessly adverb
heedlessness noun

Examples of heedless in a Sentence

They remain heedless of their own safety. the heedless use of natural resources
Recent Examples on the Web The pathogen, finally, is an agent without agency—a bug trying to make more bugs, heedless of motives or morals. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The average viewer is unlikely to see himself in the figure of a death-camp C.E.O., but a family that sleepwalks through their own lives, heedless of the suffering that surrounds them, may feel closer to home. Giles Harvey, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 Fine things and heedless women dropped easily into Fleming’s outstretched arms. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Introspection, after all, is most longed for in our heedless culture. Armond White, National Review, 29 Dec. 2023 Even a limited nuclear war between India and Pakistan would kill tens of millions worldwide and cause global famine—but how can the U.S. argue for other nations to disarm while burnishing its own nuclear sword in such a heedless fashion? The Editors, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023 The heedless rush to splash the story onto the screen leads to an appalling waste of the formidable talents marshalled to depict it. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2023 But politics, or, better, statecraft is precisely what is needed now to avoid even greater catastrophe—and even greater catastrophe is sure to follow heedless decisions born of rage. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2023 Last week, ProPublica revealed that the ethically heedless Clarence Thomas had been a secret speaker at donor conclaves of the Koch network, which spent over $60 million supporting GOP candidates in the last election cycle. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heedless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heedless was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near heedless

Cite this Entry

“Heedless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heedless. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heedless

adjective
heed·​less ˈhēd-ləs How to pronounce heedless (audio)
: not taking heed : thoughtless
heedlessly adverb
heedlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heedless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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