haphazard

1 of 3

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 3

noun (1)

: chance sense 1

… this little remnant preserved by the haphazard of chance …

—Edith Hamilton

take our principles at haphazard

—John Locke

haphazardry

3 of 3

noun (2)

hap·​haz·​ard·​ry -rē 

plural -es

: haphazard character or order : chanciness, fortuity

the good things in his work always have an air of haphazardry

—Manchester Guardian Weekly

whose forebears had known only the haphazardry of idol and fetish worship

—Galbraith Welch

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

In the early 2000s, especially, Ashley favored haphazard updos, with layers falling from the sides, as seen at the spring 2005 Marc Jacobs show in New York. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 12 June 2026

However, what ends up on screen is interminably dull, both in its visual construction and in its haphazard narrative swerves. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 8 June 2026

There is no comprehensive survey of the aquatic insects living in the reemerging canyons, and studies from before Glen Canyon Dam are haphazard, Washko said. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 June 2026

Both residents and tourists cruise around on single-speed bikes, parking them in haphazard piles to shop in luxury boutiques, visit the famous Sunday market for clothing and home goods, or grab a cappuccino in a glitzy café. —Rebecca Rose, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Adjective

hap entry 1 + hazard

First Known Use

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

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