thoughtless

adjective

thought·​less ˈthȯt-ləs How to pronounce thoughtless (audio)
1
: lacking concern for others : inconsiderate
rude and thoughtless behavior
a thoughtless remark
2
a
: insufficiently alert : careless
b
: reckless, rash
thoughtless actions
3
: devoid of thought : insensate
thoughtlessly adverb
thoughtlessness noun

Examples of thoughtless in a Sentence

a selfish and thoughtless person always making thoughtless comments that hurt other people's feelings
Recent Examples on the Web Their objectives are routinely thwarted by the democratic process and the thoughtless voters who participate in it. Noah Rothman, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024 In response to the Jets star’s thoughtless comments, Kimmel threatened to take Rodgers to court. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2024 But these rules just deter the thoughtless passengers who try to board a flight in a Speedo or T-shirts with offensive slogans. Christopher Elliott, Dallas News, 21 June 2023 Chief among the wounded are his husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), a sensitive soul who’s learned to take Tomas’ every reckless, thoughtless deed quietly in stride. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2023 Hidden in the numbers My creation of a biased algorithm was thoughtless and potentially offensive. John MacCormick, Fortune, 9 May 2023 Keenly attuned to the preposterous, Beerbohm lampoons his targets’ individual styles and pet preoccupations, such as Rudyard Kipling’s thoughtless glorifications of male violence and Henry James’s dizzying circumlocutions, all while maintaining a deceptively straight face. Nicholas Frankel, WSJ, 2 Dec. 2022 The group plans a trip together to see him, hoping to show him how his thoughtless remarks left scars. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 14 July 2023 The film’s attitude toward the demimonde of Hong Kong sugar daddies and the models who pretend to love them boils down to a cheeky and rather thoughtless shrug. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thoughtless.' 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

1544, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of thoughtless was in 1544

Dictionary Entries Near thoughtless

Cite this Entry

“Thoughtless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoughtless. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thoughtless

adjective
thought·​less ˈthȯt-ləs How to pronounce thoughtless (audio)
1
a
: not careful and alert
b
: done without thinking beforehand
thoughtless actions
2
: lacking concern for others : inconsiderate
a thoughtless remark
thoughtlessly adverb
thoughtlessness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on thoughtless

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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