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

Brandon Howey was found guilty of four counts of careless driving resulting in death and four counts of careless driving resulting in injury, all traffic offenses, by an Adams County jury in November. —Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025

Of those fires, careless cooking was the most common factor. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2025

Farke was seething with the careless waste of an opportunity to build a more patient Leeds attack. —Beren Cross, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025

With the tip drama over, brace your necks for some whiplash, because Chase and Gary’s moral positions as righteous angel and careless daredevil suddenly flip-flop. —Emma Soren, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see care entry 1

First Known Use

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

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