Meanings
comparative more carelessly · superlative most carelessly
- Giving the appearance of carelessness; relaxedly.
The papers were carelessly strewn on the table.
1 more example
Let us try to imagine the qualms of some Fifth Avenue florist if he could but see so many potential boutonnières, at a dollar apiece, so carelessly heaped up in baskets, lining the dingy pavement.
1920 March 28, Alice Ballantine Kirjassoff, “FORMOSA THE BEAUTIFUL”, in National Geographic Magazine, page 264 - Done without care or attention; inattentively.
Distracted by the salesperson, he carelessly read the contract.
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbwithout care or concern
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*ǵeh₂r-
- Proto-Germanic*karō
- Proto-West Germanic*karu
- Old Englishcaru
- Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
- Proto-Germanic*leusaną
- Proto-Germanic*lausaz
- Old Englishcarlēas
- Middle Englishcareles
- Englishcareless
- Englishcarelessly
Translations
Bengali অন্ধভাবে
- অন্ধভাবে (ondhobhabe)in a careless manner
Chinese Mandarin 不經意 /不经意
- 不經意 /不经意 (bùjīngyì)in a careless manner
Czech nedbale, lehkomyslně
- nedbalein a careless manner
- lehkomyslněin a careless manner
Esperanto senzorge, senatente
- senzorgein a careless manner
- senatenteinattentively
Finnish huolimattomasti, muina miehinä
- huolimattomastiin a careless manner
- muina miehinäin a careless manner
French négligemment
- négligemmentin a careless manner
German leichtsinnigerweise, sorglos
- leichtsinnigerweisein a careless manner
- sorglosin a careless manner
Hungarian gondatlanul, figyelmetlenül
- gondatlanulin a careless manner
- figyelmetlenülinattentively
Irish ar nós cuma liom
- ar nós cuma liomin a careless manner
Japanese 不注意に, うっかり
- 不注意に (fuchūi ni)in a careless manner
- うっかり (ukkari)in a careless manner
Polish niedbale, niestarannie
- niedbalein a careless manner
- niestaranniein a careless manner
- nieuważnieinattentively
Portuguese descuidadamente
- descuidadamentein a careless manner
Russian небре́жно, беспе́чно
- небре́жно (nebréžno)in a careless manner
- беспе́чно (bespéčno)in a careless manner
- хала́тно (xalátno)in a careless manner
- безала́берно (bezaláberno)in a careless manner
Spanish descuidadamente, desatentadamente
- descuidadamentein a careless manner
- desatentadamenteinattentively
Cite this entry
carelessly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carelessly
“carelessly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carelessly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carelessly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carelessly.
Source: carelessly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.