CARELESSLY Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

carelessly

adverb

as in casually

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of carelessly Flying an unmanned aircraft system carelessly or recklessly, interfering with a first responder operation, is also a misdemeanor under state law and San Diego municipal code. — Sydney Brammer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026 Officials said activities connected to people ‒ from fireworks to carelessly discarded cigarettes ‒ have sparked 75% of wildfires in Utah in 2026. — Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 30 June 2026 Under a new Douglas County ordinance, illegally operating an OHV, driving one carelessly or recklessly, and not wearing a helmet if under 18 could land you with up to a $1,000 fine. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 24 June 2026 If used carelessly, the result can end up containing less information than live action while also feeling less fluid and appealing than conventional animation. — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 19 June 2026 Too many organizations still handle these carelessly, with credentials baked into code, privileges that are far too broad, secrets shared across systems, or tokens that live forever. — Scott Alldridge, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Creative opportunities are also heating up, though money and friendship should not be mixed carelessly. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026 Additionally, boiling water can easily damage surrounding plants and grass if poured carelessly. — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 4 June 2026 Done carelessly, a ban is unlikely to succeed. — Mercury News Editorial Board, Mercury News, 27 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for carelessly

Adverb

The 1962 film version featured a more innocent family with a daughter who’s presexual and thus a naïve object of lust for Robert Mitchum’s casually lascivious Cady.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
In a video that’s racking up millions of views online, a curious bear strolled up to a golf cart at Golden Eagle Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, helped itself to a player's golf bag, then casually dragged it away from the tee box.

— Lauren Paige Richeson, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Definition of casually

Adverb

This kind of beauty has nothing to do with perfection, which is distributed so arbitrarily and approximated so gracelessly.

— Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 11 July 2026
This allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and no longer arbitrarily subjects them to traffic control measures designed for other types of vehicles.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2026

Definition of arbitrarily

Adverb

Permits that are granted and withdrawn capriciously, tax credits that come and go, technologies that fall in or out of favor in successive administrations, and endless legal battles all amount to dangerous barriers to investment.

— Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 16 Apr. 2026
That standard would uphold the NCAA’s interpretation of the waiver rule so long as the NCAA didn’t act arbitrarily or capriciously, either of which is difficult to show.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 27 Jan. 2026

Definition of capriciously

Adverb

Huxley’s critique is clear; America mistakes body for spirit, promiscuously confusing the physical with the metaphysical.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
Political factions are steered by big personalities, and politicians jump promiscuously between parties.

— BEN BLAND, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024

Definition of promiscuously

Adverb

Hanging your art and photos haphazardly is a quick way to make your collection feel more chaotic than inspiring.

— Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Allstate Insurance Company has accused Broadcom of haphazardly issuing audits against it because the insurance firm decided not to renew its contracts with VMware and CA Technologies.

— Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Definition of haphazardly

Adverb

Out in the high desert near Cabazon, my favorite stops are Hadley’s Fruit Orchards, home of the famous Hadley date shakes, and the whimsically Cabazon Dinosaur sculptors.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
No landlord would allow an occupant to change his property without approval, let alone whimsically destroy a third of it.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Apr. 2026

Definition of whimsically

Adverb

Clyne returned to Palace, initially being invited to train with the club informally in September 2020 before he was awarded a contract until the end of January, which was then extended several times.

— Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 1 July 2026
Gehrig, the New York Yankees player for whom the disease was informally named, brought global awareness to ALS after his diagnosis in the 1930s.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 29 June 2026

Definition of informally

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“Carelessly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carelessly. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of carelessly

adverb

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