haphazard

adjective

hap·haz·ard | \ (ˌ)hap-ˈha-zərd

Definition of haphazard

(Entry 1 of 2)

: marked by lack of plan, order, or direction a haphazard assemblage of furniture not … a collection of haphazard schemes, but rather the orderly component parts of a connected and logical whole— F. D. Roosevelt

haphazard

noun

Definition of haphazard (Entry 2 of 2)

: chance sense 1 this little remnant preserved by the haphazard of chance— Edith Hamilton take our principles at haphazard— John Locke

Other Words from haphazard Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about haphazard

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Other Words from haphazard

Adjective

haphazard adverb

haphazardly adverb

haphazardness noun

haphazardry \ (ˌ)hap-ˈha-zər-drē

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for haphazard

Adjective

random, haphazard, casual mean determined by accident rather than design. random stresses lack of definite aim, fixed goal, or regular procedure. a random selection of books haphazard applies to what is done without regard for regularity or fitness or ultimate consequence. a haphazard collection of rocks casual suggests working or acting without deliberation, intention, or purpose. a casual collector

Did You Know?

Noun

The "hap" in "haphazard" comes from an English word that means "happening," as well as "chance or fortune," and that derives from the Old Norse word happ, meaning "good luck." Perhaps it’s no accident that "hazard," as well, has its own connotations of luck: while it now refers commonly to something that presents danger, at one time it referred to a dice game similar to craps. (The name ultimately derives from the Arabic al-zahr, or "the die.") "Haphazard" first entered English as a noun (again meaning "chance") in the 16th century, and soon afterward was being used as an adjective to describe things with no apparent logic or order.

Examples of haphazard in a Sentence

Adjective

We were given a haphazard tour of the city. considering the haphazard way you measured the ingredients, it's a wonder the cookies came out this good

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

These are the same materials found in human teeth; however, the sea creature’s denture is structured differently, composed of microscopic minerals arranged in a somewhat haphazard manner that scatters light. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Predators with virtually invisible fangs prowl the deep sea," 6 June 2019 Life is Strange 2 Life is Strange 2 killed my momentum with its haphazard release schedule, which has at times meant four months between releases. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "Square Enix's E3 2019 event: Avengers, Dying Light 2, and Final Fantasy games galore," 10 June 2019 Mixing and matching the many maneuverable pieces of this haphazard roster reveals the readiness of players who otherwise would still be stashed in the minor leagues. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros cruise past Mariners for 5th straight win," 5 June 2019 Workers also complain about the companies’ tendency to run kitchens with too few workers, too little equipment and haphazard upkeep. — Noam Scheiber, New York Times, "11,000 People Who Prepare Your Airline Food Are Considering a Strike," 4 June 2019 In recent years, funded by grants from the state and federal governments, most acequias have junked their haphazard blockages and built concrete diversion dams with metal valves that can open and close to control the flow. — Robert Neuwirth, National Geographic, "Centuries-old irrigation system shows how to manage scarce water," 17 May 2019 The scammer beauty routine seems to be grounded by the lack of a hairbrush and a semi-dazed look in the eyes, which is heightened on female scammers by a haphazard application of black eye makeup. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "Why Is Scammer Style So Bad?," 22 Mar. 2019 But the variation is so small and so haphazard that there doesn’t seem to be any real intention behind it. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, "The true madness of a viral wing pricing scheme," 28 Oct. 2018 But votes are supposed to be counted under consistent rules and practice, not discovered in haphazard fashion after the fact and dribbled out in violation of the law. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "A Broward County Senate Steal?," 9 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Aleksandr Golovin curled home a wonderful free-kick after haphazard defending from Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny to level six minutes later. — Afp, chicagotribune.com, "Europa League Recap: Arsenal rout CSKA, Atletico, RB Leipzig, Lazio take victories," 5 Apr. 2018 The system now is a haphazard, on-the-ground monitoring network used to track greenhouse gases. — John Fialka, Scientific American, "Meet the Satellites that Can Pinpoint Methane and Carbon Dioxide Leaks," 9 Mar. 2018 Winfrey, who was first elected as city clerk in 2005, has come under fire multiple times over the years for running a haphazard and error-prone election process. — Allie Gross, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit City Clerk announces new re-evaluation plan for all 3,000 election poll workers," 27 Feb. 2018

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