haphazard

1 of 2

adjective

hap·​haz·​ard (ˌ)hap-ˈha-zərd 

: 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 adverb

haphazardly adverb

haphazardness noun

haphazardry

(ˌ)hap-ˈha-zər-drē 

noun

haphazard

2 of 2

noun

: chance sense 1

… this little remnant preserved by the haphazard of chance …

—Edith Hamilton

take our principles at haphazard

—John Locke

Did you know?

The hap in haphazard comes from an English word that means "happening," as well as "chance or fortune." Hap, in turn, comes from the Old Norse word happ, meaning "good luck." Perhaps it's no accident that hazard also has its own connotations of chance and 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 comes from the Arabic word al-zahr, meaning "the die.") Haphazard first entered English as a noun meaning "chance" in the 16th century, and soon afterward was being used as an adjective to describe things with no apparent logic or order.

Synonyms of haphazard

Adjective

• random
• scattered
• arbitrary
• erratic

Choose the Right Synonym for haphazard

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

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

It was usually tied up in a haphazard pony. —Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026

The arc of the season sputters between big and little problems in a haphazard manner, with strange side quests for Simon and Trevor that are more head-scratching than adventurous. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 27 Jan. 2026

Over the subsequent stories, Goodman crafts subtle investigations of the relations between siblings, the fine blend of anxiety and pride parents feel for their offspring, and the bemused affection an aunt or uncle might feel for their aimless nieces or haphazard nephews. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 24 Jan. 2026

The haphazard plot twists itself into knots to include Jeremy Pope’s unfortunately eponymous character, before moving on to far shorter flings with equally monotonous cast members. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

hap entry 1 + hazard

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1569, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for haphazard

• hazard

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Kids Definition

haphazard

adjective

hap·​haz·​ard

(ˈ)hap-ˈhaz-ərd

: marked by lack of plan, order, or direction

haphazard adverb

haphazardly adverb

haphazardness noun