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Webster 1913 Edition


Careless

Care′less

,
Adj.
[AS.
cearleás
.]
1.
Free from care or anxiety. hence, cheerful; light-hearted.
Spenser.
Sleep she as sound as
careless
infancy.
Shakespeare
2.
Having no care; not taking ordinary or proper care; negligent; unconcerned; heedless; inattentive; unmindful; regardless.
My brother was too
careless
of his charge.
Shakespeare
He grew
careless
of himself.
Steele.
3.
Without thought or purpose; without due care; without attention to rule or system; unstudied; inconsiderate; spontaneous; rash;
as, a
careless
throw; a
careless
expression
.
He framed the
careless
rhyme.
Beattie.
4.
Not receiving care; uncared for.
[R.]
Syn. – Negligent; heedless; thoughtless; unthinking; inattentive; incautious; remiss; supine; forgetful; regardless; inconsiderate; listless.

Webster 1828 Edition


Careless

CARELESS

,
Adj.
[care and less. See Loose.]
1.
Having no care; heedless; negligent; unthinking; inattentive; regardless; unmindful; followed by of or about; as a careless mother; a mother careless of or about her children, is an unnatural parent.
2.
Free from care or anxiety; whence, undisturbed; cheerful.
Thus wisely careless, innocently gay.
3.
Done or said without care; unconsidered; as a careless throw; a careless expression.
4.
Not regarding with care; unmoved by; unconcerned for; as, careless of money; careless of consequences.
5.
Contrived without art.

Definition 2024


careless

careless

English

Adjective

careless (comparative more careless, superlative most careless)

  1. (archaic) Free from care; unworried, without anxiety. [from 11thc.]
    • 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Chapter 27:
      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 11thc.]
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter IV”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      "He was here," observed Drina composedly, "and father was angry with him." ¶ "What?" exclaimed Eileen. "When?" ¶ "This morning, before father went downtown." ¶ Both Selwyn and Lansing cut in coolly, dismissing the matter with a careless word or two; and coffee was servedcambric tea in Drina's case.
  3. Not giving sufficient attention or thought, especially concerning the avoidance of harm or mistakes. [from 16thc.]
    Jessica was so careless that she put her shorts on backwards.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:careless

Translations

Anagrams