careless

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adjective care·less \ -ləs \

Definition of careless

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.
—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

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carelessly

adverb

—

carelessness

noun

See careless defined for English-language learners

See careless defined for kids

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 of careless from the Web

Mayweather is never careless, with his boxing or his money.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Doc: Bengals look good, Burfict looks targeted," 28 Aug. 2017
Chappell will be charged with felony death by motor vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, careless-reckless and possession of drug paraphernalia after he is released from the hospital.

— wbtv, charlotteobserver, "Speed, alcohol factors in fatal north Charlotte wreck," 26 Aug. 2017
Officials said the worker was brought to University Medical Center with moderate injuries and that the driver who caused the crash will be charged with careless operation of a vehicle.

— marie simoneaux, NOLA.com, "Motor Assistance Patrol worker hit by "out of control" vehicle," 19 Aug. 2017
Carrington was charged with a misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of intoxicants and was cited for careless driving and improper right turn.

— tyson alger, OregonLive.com, "Darren Carrington, former Oregon Ducks receiver, transfer to Utah: Report," 25 July 2017
The truck driver, 33-year-old Antonio Santiago Wharton, was uninjured and ticketed for careless driving.

— christine pelisek, PEOPLE.com, "Driver Survives Metal Pipe Crushing His Van on the Highway: 'Another Foot to the Left and He Would Be Dead'," 15 July 2017
Wharton, of Kissimmee, who sustained minor injuries from the accident, was ticketed for careless driving, according to troopers.

— michael williams, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando van driver survives freak accident involving overturned scrap metal truck," 15 July 2017
A Seattle man has been cited for careless driving that caused the multi-vehicle crash Sunday on the Seward Highway that left one person severely injured and brought traffic to a standstill for over seven hours.

— jerzy shedlock, Alaska Dispatch News, "Seattle man cited for careless driving in wreck that closed Seward Highway for hours," 11 July 2017
Police identified the driver of the Expedition as Peter Jouflas, who was cited for careless driving.

— jerzy shedlock, Alaska Dispatch News, "Seattle man cited for careless driving in wreck that closed Seward Highway for hours," 11 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'careless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of careless

see ¹care

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

careless Synonyms

Synonyms

heedless, incautious, mindless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary

Antonyms

alert, cautious, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary

Related Words

bold, impetuous, rash, reckless; inattentive, regardless; blithe, inconsiderate, thoughtless; absentminded, forgetful, unmindful; lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss, slipshod; imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious; inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned

Near Antonyms

attentive, chary, observant, vigilant, watchful; foresighted, forethoughtful, provident; calculating, scheming, shrewd; considerate, thoughtful; ultracareful, ultracautious

CARELESS Defined for English Language Learners

careless

play

adjective

Definition of careless for English Language Learners

: not using care : not careful
: done, made, or said without enough thought or attention

CARELESS Defined for Kids

careless

play

adjective care·less \ ˈker-ləs \

Definition of careless for Students

1 :not taking proper care

a careless worker

2 :done, made, or said without being careful

a careless mistake

3 :carefree

—

carelessly

adverb

—

carelessness

noun

Law Dictionary

careless

adjective care·less

legal Definition of careless

:not showing due care :negligent

careless driving

— compare reckless

Learn More about careless

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for careless Spanish Central: Translation of careless Nglish: Translation of careless for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of careless for Arabic speakers

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Examples of careless in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of careless

careless Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

CARELESS Defined for English Language Learners

careless

Definition of careless for English Language Learners

CARELESS Defined for Kids

careless

Definition of careless for Students

carelessly

carelessness

Law Dictionary

careless

legal Definition of careless

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