CARELESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does careless mean? 

• CARELESS (adjective)
  The adjective CARELESS has 3 senses:

1. marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

2. effortless and unstudied

3. (usually followed by 'of') without due thought or consideration

  Familiarity information: CARELESS used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CARELESS (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful

Context example:

hurt by a careless remark

Similar:

casual; cursory; passing; perfunctory; superficial (hasty and without attention to detail; not thorough)

haphazard; slapdash; slipshod; sloppy (marked by great carelessness)

heedless; reckless (characterized by careless unconcern)

incautious (carelessly failing to exercise proper caution)

offhand; offhanded (casually thoughtless or inconsiderate)

Also:

inattentive (showing a lack of attention or care)

incautious (lacking in caution)

unconcerned (lacking in interest or care or feeling)

negligent (characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern)

superficial (concerned with or comprehending only what is apparent or obvious; not deep or penetrating emotionally or intellectually)

imprudent (not prudent or wise)

Attribute:

carefulness (the quality of being careful and painstaking)

Antonym:

careful (exercising caution or showing care or attention)

Derivation:

carelessness (failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances)

carelessness (the quality of not being careful or taking pains)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Effortless and unstudied

Context example:

danced with careless grace

Similar:

artless (simple and natural; without cunning or deceit)

Sense 3

Meaning:

(usually followed by 'of') without due thought or consideration

Synonyms:

careless; regardless

Context example:

crushing the blooms with regardless tread

Similar:

heedless; unheeding (marked by or paying little heed or attention)

Derivation:

carelessness (the quality of not being careful or taking pains)

 Context examples 

Troublesome, careless child! and what are you doing now?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Whole herds of moments stole away and were lost while their careless shepherd gazed out of the window at the sunshine and the trees.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“Who's he?” asked Steerforth, in his careless way.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But we were careless and happy and full of fun, and enjoyed every minute of the day.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

The owner is obviously a muscular man, left-handed, with an excellent set of teeth, careless in his habits, and with no need to practise economy.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Also, he stood less in fear of them than formerly, stalking among them with a certain careless ease that was as new to him as it was enjoyable.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

As he fled back over the Danube, leaving his forces to be cut to pieces, so now he is intent on being safe, careless of all.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“You hardly realize, sir, that I am not a man, or that I am unaccustomed to the vagrant, careless life which you and your men seem to lead.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Everywhere there were mingled the luxury of the wealthy man of taste and the careless untidiness of the bachelor.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You can't ask Mother for new ones, they are so expensive, and you are so careless.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)