devil-may-care

adjective

dev·​il-may-care ˌde-vᵊl-(ˌ)mā-ˈker 

: easygoing, carefree

a devil-may-care attitude

Synonyms of devil-may-care

• nonchalant
• casual
• unaffected
• mellow
• easygoing
• informal
• flexible
• affable
• familiar
• breezy
• low-pressure
• laid-back
• happy-go-lucky

Examples of devil-may-care in a Sentence

a devil-may-care golfer who knows that it's only a game

the devil-may-care speed with which he drives his sports car is going to cause a lot of grief someday

the devil-may-care attitude that some people have about needlessly contributing to global warming

Recent Examples on the Web

Stokes is set for the role of Ronnie Whitlock, who leads with an outlaw smile and a devil-may-care attitude, a fire burning within him. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026

And then there's a top-of-his-game Chevy Chase as a devil-may-care golfer and Bill Murray as a raffish groundskeeper. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026

When Gary Vernon began riding mountain bikes in Arkansas almost 40 years ago, there was very little infrastructure intended for riders without deep experience—or a devil-may-care attitude. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

The show has always affected a devil-may-care attitude, but in previous seasons, less-wearying — not to say light or uplifting — moments came up as a result of the chemistry between the young ensemble. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for devil-may-care

• concessionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare

Kids Definition

devil-may-care

adjective

dev·​il-may-care

ˌdev-əl-(ˌ)mā-ˈke(ə)r, 

-ˈka(ə)r

: easygoing, carefree