reckless

adjective

reck·​less ˈre-kləs How to pronounce reckless (audio)
1
: marked by lack of proper caution : careless of consequences
2
: irresponsible
reckless charges
recklessly adverb
recklessness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for reckless

adventurous, venturesome, daring, daredevil, rash, reckless, foolhardy mean exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense.

adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Examples of reckless in a Sentence

He is a wild and reckless young man. He showed a reckless disregard for the safety of others. He spends money with reckless abandon.
Recent Examples on the Web Brown, as Monk’s brother, is on a reckless journey to find truth and acceptance as a gay man. Ken Makin, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Mar. 2024 Roberts plays the titular character, a real-life attorney who took California power company PG&E to task for their reckless endangerment of civilians. EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Additionally, the judge imposed a concurrent sentence of up to seven years in prison for reckless endangerment and a consecutive term of up to four years in prison for tampering with evidence. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The humor, memes, reckless speculation, paranoia, and layers of meta-commentary have become the lingua franca of the internet and, by extension, popular culture, where innocent-enough memes and conspiracies blend until the distinction feels almost irrelevant. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 After the decision by Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, to try to destroy a sovereign neighbor, both Finland and Sweden rapidly decided to apply to join the NATO alliance, the only clear guarantee of collective defense against a newly aggressive and reckless Russia. Steven Erlanger, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Trump sparks widespread backlash with NATO attack Hours before Trump took the stage in North Charleston, former President Barack Obama seconded Biden in saying Trump's attitude is reckless and provocative. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Robbins started doing the lessons after seeing complaints about e-bike riders – some with photos of kids doing reckless things near cars – all over social media. Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 As befits, perhaps, a story of reckless youth, the production has taken some risks, including that almost none of its top-line creative team have ever made a musical. Melena Ryzik Adali Schell, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reckless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of reckless was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near reckless

Cite this Entry

“Reckless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reckless. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reckless

adjective
reck·​less ˈrek-ləs How to pronounce reckless (audio)
: showing lack of caution : irresponsible, wild
recklessly adverb
recklessness noun

Legal Definition

reckless

adjective
reck·​less
: characterized by the creation of a substantial and unjustifiable risk to the lives, safety, or rights of others and by a conscious and sometimes wanton and willful disregard for or indifference to that risk that is a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would exercise in like circumstances see also involuntary manslaughter at manslaughter, reckless homicide at homicide, recklessness compare careless
recklessly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on reckless

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