1
as in unsafe
not paying or showing close attention especially for the purpose of avoiding trouble
a careless reporter who often doesn't get his facts straight a careless mistake that caused the plane to crash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in neglectful
failing to give proper care and attention
a careless effort that made an unnecessary mess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of careless
This was reckless and careless.
—
Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026
Bain was cited for careless driving at the time, but the charge was later dropped before Betts’ death.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The Abington Fire Department said the fire was accidental and likely started from careless disposal of smoking materials.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
In short, think relaxed—but never careless.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for careless
Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026
Bain was cited for careless driving at the time, but the charge was later dropped before Betts’ death.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
The Abington Fire Department said the fire was accidental and likely started from careless disposal of smoking materials.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
In short, think relaxed—but never careless.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for careless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careless
Adjective
-
The Austrian Pavilion is probably the talk of the Biennale, featuring Florentina Holzinger’s batshit crazy, borderline unsafe performances.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
-
The test cases—meaning the HTML or other code that triggers an unsafe memory condition—are provided in each one and meet the same criteria Mozilla requires for all bugs to be considered security vulnerabilities in Firefox.—
Dan Goodin,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
To do otherwise is neglectful and selfish.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
Above a certain socioeconomic threshold, not spending an extra $1,000 a year or more in the hopes of doing so could seem neglectful.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
America’s reckless military adventure continues.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 May 2026
-
Tottenham began to tire and Tel was ultimately punished for his reckless boot in his own box.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
Many universities make that experience as deluxe as possible, with posh amenities such as upscale dorms and lazy rivers.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
8 May 2026
-
Largely true to the novel, the first TV adaptation aims for similar endurance, like it was made for teachers to screen on a lazy Friday afternoon after a week spent discussing the book.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
The suit alleges that Good Samaritan and its doctors were negligent in their treatment of Cantrell.—
Minyvonne Burke,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
-
Victor Arias, the suspect in an apartment building fire in New York City that took the lives of three individuals, including a People en Español editor, has been charged with three counts of criminally negligent homicide.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Careless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careless. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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