as in reckless
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions
a harum-scarum dash through the crowded terminal to make the flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner
tossed everything harum-scarum from the closet in a desperate attempt to find her shoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harum-scarum
Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Adjective
Years of harum-scarum borrowing and spending combined with economic wallops from the Covid-19 pandemic, soaring interest rates and inflation helped drive up Kenya’s debt to $80 billion.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harum-scarum
Adjective
-
Hales, who is free on $160,000 bail, faces two counts of reckless burning causing death, two counts of reckless burning of an inhabited structure, two counts of child endangerment and one count of animal cruelty.—
Jasmine Mendez
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
-
He was acquitted at the first trial of murder and reckless endangerment.—
Mike Randall,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
When the gates opened, people surged forward, not frantically, but with relief.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Instead, the Slovenian James Harden is showing the exact same limitations and attitudes that saw Dallas frantically dump him.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Children can participate in fishing, particularly on the lake, and daredevil kiddos over eight can try their hand at driving cars at nearby Thruxton Circuit.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Keanu Reeves is back as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Adverb
-
The Edge Spa, perched on the side of a precipice overlooking Alexander Creek, showcases ingredients grown or wild-harvested on site.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
10 Dec. 2025
-
Most of the region's black walnuts are currently wild-foraged and sold by the pound at local hulling centers.—
Randy Moll,
Arkansas Online,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Mark Watney is an astronaut who chose to go to Mars and do a daring thing.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Armed with beauty, daring, hustle, sheer force of will and unwavering ambition, Undine battles an entrenched elite, fearlessly courting controversy, until love and fortune align.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Adverb
-
One of the newest bands on the Street Mob roster, the quartet has stood out for its smoother, more sentimental approach to música mexicana — and for the wildly likable onstage presence of singer and frontman Gustavo Raya-García.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
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The outgoing president of the Kennedy Center leaves the institution renamed, nearly closed, and wildly unpopular.—
Jonathan L. Fischer,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harum-scarum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harum-scarum. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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