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

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 That will look a little bit haphazard and a little half-baked from a consumer perspective. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "It costs a lot for a huge company like Dunkin’ Donuts to change its name. So what’s the payoff?," 25 Oct. 2018 But the way the filmmakers place the blame elsewhere, throwing the one character with a seemingly moral compass under the bus, feels haphazard and wraps up too neatly to fully buy into. — Katie Walsh, latimes.com, "Evan Rachel Wood seduces and destroys in psycho-sexual thriller 'Allure'," 15 Mar. 2018 Minding the Gap starts out as one story, suggests one set of character arcs, and then flows in unexpected directions and underlines new sets of themes, without ever feeling haphazard or ill-considered. — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Minding the Gap': Film Review | Sundance 2018," 23 Jan. 2018 The way the pictures are hung on the dining room wall feels almost haphazard. — Christine Pittel, House Beautiful, "Designer Pamela Shamshiri's Tips on Wabi Sabi Decorating," 16 Sep. 2011 And yet, this crisis has functioned as a sidenote in the national political conversation and in recent presidential campaigns—plopped into speeches and paid haphazard lip service to without any meaningful action. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "This Is Why We Need Women Running for President," 19 Feb. 2019

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.