careless

adjective

care·​less ˈker-ləs 

1

a

: free from care : untroubled

careless days

b

: indifferent, unconcerned

careless of the consequences

2

: not taking care

My brother was too careless of his charge.

—Shakespeare

3

: not showing or receiving care:

a

: negligent, slovenly

careless writing

b

: unstudied, spontaneous

a careless grace

a careless glance

c

obsolete : unvalued, disregarded

carelessly adverb

carelessness noun

Synonyms

• heedless
• incautious
• mindless
• unguarded
• unsafe
• unwary

Examples of careless in a Sentence

He is a careless worker.

She was careless with my things.

It was a careless mistake.

a newspaper known for careless reporting

Recent Examples on the Web

She was cited with careless driving, the sheriff’s office said. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025

Following the accident, the driver, a 61-year-old woman, was cited with careless driving and cooperated with investigators at the scene, the sheriff’s office said. —Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025

McIlroy wasted a superb opening round with two careless double bogeys leaving him seven shots behind. —Doug Ferguson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

As the moon clashes with Jupiter, careless behaviors can create large-scale upsets. —Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for careless

• airless
• hairless

Kids Definition

careless

adjective

care·​less ˈke(ə)r-ləs 

ˈka(ə)r-

1

: free from care : not troubled

2

: not taking proper care

a careless worker

3

: done, made, or said without proper care

a careless mistake

carelessly adverb

carelessness noun

Legal Definition

careless

adjective

care·​less

: not showing due care : negligent

careless driving

compare reckless