reckless

adjective

reck·​less ˈre-kləs How to pronounce reckless (audio)
1
: marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences
2
: irresponsible
reckless charges
recklessly adverb
recklessness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for reckless

adventurous, venturesome, daring, daredevil, rash, reckless, foolhardy mean exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense.

adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Examples of reckless in a Sentence

He is a wild and reckless young man. He showed a reckless disregard for the safety of others. He spends money with reckless abandon.
Recent Examples on the Web There’s a lot out there that portrays them as this reckless death cult that are just adrenaline junkies. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors last year secured a guilty plea from the Illinois shooter’s father for misdemeanor reckless conduct for his role in facilitating his son’s gun access. Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Joy, with touching if reckless kindness, allows Savannah to stay on, and on, and on. Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 Rather, the intrigue here lies in the fact that Grande—at least the Grande that projects herself in her songs—comes off as knowingly fickle, even reckless. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 As the game went to extra-time, the home side was dealt a double blow when Ayman Yahya was sent off for a reckless challenge before Sultan Al-Shamsi made it 4-3 on aggregate, tapping into the net after Raghed Al-Najjar’s save miraculously bounced off the crossbar and into his path. George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 It was born of a frustration with the stewards of the world economy and the behavior of large banks and financial institutions, whose reckless financial engineering set the stage for the meltdown. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 12 Mar. 2024 His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Brown, as Monk’s brother, is on a reckless journey to find truth and acceptance as a gay man. Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reckless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reckless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near reckless

Cite this Entry

“Reckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reckless. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reckless

adjective
reck·​less ˈrek-ləs How to pronounce reckless (audio)
: showing lack of caution : irresponsible, wild
recklessly adverb
recklessness noun

Legal Definition

reckless

adjective
reck·​less
: characterized by the creation of a substantial and unjustifiable risk to the lives, safety, or rights of others and by a conscious and sometimes wanton and willful disregard for or indifference to that risk that is a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would exercise in like circumstances see also involuntary manslaughter at manslaughter, reckless homicide at homicide, recklessness compare careless
recklessly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on reckless

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