careless Hear it!

careless Definition

care·less (kerlis)

adjective

  1. without worry; carefree; untroubled
  2. not paying enough attention; not thinking before one acts or speaks; neglectful; heedless; inconsiderate
  3. done or made without enough attention, precision, etc.; not painstaking or thorough
  4. artless; unstudied a careless grace

Etymology: ME careles < OE carleas: see care & -less

careless Related Forms
care·lessly adverb care·less·ness noun
careless Idioms

careless of

indifferent to; untroubled by

careless Synonyms

careless

modif.

  1. Inattentive

    loose, lax, remiss, unguarded, incautious, forgetful, unthinking, unobservant, uncircumspect, reckless, unheeding, indiscreet, injudicious, inadvertent, unconcerned, improvident, wasteful, regardless, imprudent, unconsidered, unwary, cursory, hasty, inconsiderate, irresponsible, indolent, insouciant, lackadaisical, heedless, mindless, negligent, neglectful, sloppy, slapdash, inaccurate, imprecise, inexact, slipshod, slovenly, thoughtless, unmindful, indifferent, casual, disregardful, oblivious, absent-minded, listless, abstracted, nonchalant, undiscerning, offhand, slack, blundering; see also rash, unconcerned.

    Antonyms attentive, thoughtful*, careful, painstaking.

  2. Artless

    unstudied, simple, natural; see modest 2, naive, natural 3.

  3. Carefree

    untroubled, fun-loving, happy-go-lucky; see calm 1, happy 1.

careless Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • life: So careful of the type she seems, So careless of the single life.
  • welfare: Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of your family?
  • fact: They are controversialists, with a tendency to take extreme positions, and are often careless of facts and rash on predictions.

Preposition: about

  • thing: All it showed was that some people in this business can be indiscreet and careless about the things they say.

Modifies a noun

  • driving: In 1951, 29,000 offenses of careless driving were dealt with, a third of the current level.
  • rapture: He gives himself up freely to his impressions, and there is a fine, careless rapture in his laughter.
  • indifference: I cannot suffocate their plea for air with my careless indifference.
  • whisper: Now I don't want to spread any careless whispers - it was Steve.
  • riding: His rider, George Baker, picked up a two day ban for careless riding.
  • handling: They are not merely the result of error or of careless handling of the text.

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: Cast of characters Gilbert Murray a rather careless veterinary surgeon who has dreams of opening his own animal sanctuary.
  • so: Do not be so careless, for even in earthly war there is the need for covering.
  • too: Indeed, perhaps in these times a belief in the ETH would be somehow dangerous, making us too careless of our own survival.
  • little: Why don't you prevent him, you little careless creature?
  • often: The story goes that she had a son called William who was often careless in his schoolwork.
  • very: The editor of this volume is either very careless or ignorant with regard to names.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: In certain cases, they may also become careless of their personal hygiene.
  • get: First: When, a nation gets careless about God it gets careless about itself.
  • seem: They seem careless in their attitudes to people infected or affected by HIV.
  • grow: But you know how often a woman grows careless.
careless Quotes

They were careless people,Tom and Daisyöthey smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.

—Fitzgerald, F(rancis) Scott Key

So careful of the type she seems, So careless of the single life.

—Tennyson

   The more careless, the more modish.

—Swift,Jonathan

Browse dictionary entries near careless

  1. caregiver
  2. carefully
  3. careful
  4. carefree
  5. careerist
  6. career woman
  7. career
  8. careen
  9. care to
  10. care for
  1. carelessly
  2. carelessness
  3. caress
  4. caret
  5. caretaker
  6. Carew
  7. careworn
  8. carfare
  9. carful
  10. cargo