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.

—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

• 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

Proof Carefully To Show Professionalism And Attention To Detail What gets my negative attention are résumés with careless errors—typos, missing words and inconsistent formatting. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025

Social media erupted in fear, and disgust, or simply threw shame his way for being careless. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 8 July 2025

That urgency can lead to poor judgment and careless clicks. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025

Russian morale also took a hit, as military bloggers bemoaned the careless lack of security and underestimation of Ukrainian secret services. —Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 8 June 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