Word
careless
Phoneticscare·less, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈkɛɹɫəs/
UK/kˈeələs/
Definitions
01not paying attention
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not giving enough attention or thought to what you are doing, which often causes mistakes.
adj. failing to give sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors.
“It was a careless mistake to leave the front door unlocked overnight.”
“The accountant's careless handling of the tax filings resulted in a significant fine for the small business.”
Usage
Often followed by the prepositions 'with' or 'about'.
Pitfall
He is careless for his health.
He is careless with his health.
Use 'with' when describing how someone treats a specific thing, or 'about' for general concerns.
Synonyms
02unconcerned
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not worried or concerned about something, sometimes in a way that seems rude.
adj. displaying a lack of concern or interest; nonchalant regarding the feelings of others or the outcome of a situation.
“He gave a careless shrug when I asked him if he was coming to the party.”
“Her careless attitude toward the project's failure deeply frustrated the rest of the team who had worked overtime.”
Synonyms
03free from worry
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic
adj. having no worries or problems to think about.
adj. characterised by a lack of anxiety or responsibility; free from the burdens of care.
“They spent a careless afternoon wandering through the old forest.”
“In the poem, the author reflects on the careless days of his youth before the onset of war.”
Teaching tip
In modern English, 'carefree' is almost always used for this positive meaning; 'careless' is now almost exclusively negative.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “careless” in context.
Verb
01. become careless
“He started to become careless with his work after he decided to leave the company.”
verb + adj
02. seem careless
“The driver seemed careless when he ignored the stop sign.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. careless about money
“You shouldn't be so careless about money if you want to save for a house.”
adj + prep
04. careless attitude
“Her careless attitude toward safety rules worried her manager.”
adj + noun
05. careless mistake
“I lost five points on the test because of a careless mistake in my math.”
adj + noun
06. careless whisper
“A careless whisper in the library caused everyone to look up from their books.”
adj + noun
07. careless with keys
“He is very careless with his keys and loses them at least once a month.”
adj + prep
Adverb
08. extremely careless
“It was extremely careless of him to leave the front door unlocked all night.”
adv + adj
Etymology
From Middle English careles, from Old English carlēas (“careless, reckless, void of care, free from care, free”), equivalent to care + -less. Cognate with Icelandic kærulaus (“careless, negligent”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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