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

Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years. — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026

The hotel itself is staffed by a small but merry cadre of Lost Boys whose endearing mix of irreverence and can-doism gives the hotel its cool, devil-may-care personality. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026

Pixie shag Somewhere between pixie and bixie lies this shaggy devil-may-care crop. — Loren Savini, Allure, 14 Aug. 2026

Oliver is modern romance-novel perfect – handsome with devil-may-care hair. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 July 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