careless

English

Etymology

From Middle English careles, from Old English carlēas (“careless, reckless, void of care, free from care, free”), equivalent to care +‎ -less.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈkɛːlɘs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)ləs

Adjective

careless (comparative more careless, superlative most careless)

1. (archaic) Free from care; unworried, without anxiety. [from 11th c.]
   • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick:

     Good-humored, easy, and careless, he presided over his whale-boat as if the most deadly encounter were but a dinner, and his crew all invited guests.

2. Not concerned or worried (about). [from 11th c.]
3. Not giving sufficient attention or thought, especially concerning the avoidance of harm or mistakes. [from 16th c.]

   Jessica was so careless that she put her shorts on backwards.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:careless

Translations

not concerned or worried

Bulgarian: небрежен (bg), немарлив (bg) Croatian: bezbrižan (hr) Czech: lehkomyslný (cs) Dutch: onverschillig (nl) Esperanto: malzorga (eo) German: sorglos (de), unbekümmert (de)

Greek: ανέμελος (el) (anémelos) m., ξέγνοιαστος (el) (xégnoiastos) m. Hungarian: gondtalan (hu) Scottish Gaelic: coma (gd) Spanish: despreocupado (es)

not giving sufficient attention or thought

Bulgarian: невнимателен (bg), безгрижен (bg) Croatian: nȅmāran (hr), nèbrižan (hr) Czech: lehkomyslný (cs), nedbalý (cs), lhostejný (cs) Dutch: onvoorzichtig (nl), onbedachtzaam (nl), achteloos (nl) Esperanto: malzorga (eo) French: négligent (fr) m., étourdi (fr) m. German: unvorsichtig, unbedacht, unachtsam, leichtsinnig, fahrlässig (de) Greek: απρόσεκτος (el) (aprósektos), απερίσκεπτος (el) (aperískeptos) m., αμελής (el) (amelís) m.

Hungarian: figyelmetlen (hu), gondatlan (hu) Latin: neglegēns (la) Scottish Gaelic: coma (gd) Spanish: descuidado (es), irresponsable (es), negligente (es) Thai: ซุ่มซ่าม (th), ประมาท (th), สะเพร่า (th)

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Swahili: pumbaa

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