careless

careless — adjective

1. doing things without enough thought or attention, which often leads to mistakes,

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

doing things without enough thought or attention, which often leads to mistakes, accidents, or damage to people or things

Example

Isabela made a careless mistake on her tax return and had to pay a fine.

collocation: careless mistake

The night-shift nurse was careless with the medication dosage and had to report the error.

pattern: careless with [object/thing]

Common collocations
  • careless mistake
  • careless error
  • careless driving
  • careless attitude
  • careless remark
  • careless with money
  • careless about safety
Synonyms
  • sloppy

    suggests messy or untidy work; less formal than careless

  • negligent

    more formal; often used in legal or professional contexts for failing in a duty

  • reckless

    stronger — means someone ignores serious danger on purpose

Antonyms
  • careful

    the direct opposite

  • thorough

    emphasizes doing a complete and detailed job

Grammar Patterns

careless + noun

be + careless

careless about + noun/gerund

careless with + noun

Common Mistakes

He was careless for his homework.
He was careless with his homework.
Use 'with' for the thing that is handled without care.
She is a very careless person for details.
She is very careless about details.
Use 'about' to say what area or topic someone ignores.

2. behaving in a relaxed, confident way that shows you are not worried about anythi

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

behaving in a relaxed, confident way that shows you are not worried about anything, especially in a way that seems natural and attractive

Example

Mayumi walked into the room with a careless grace that made everyone turn to look.

collocation: careless grace

Gabriel gave a careless shrug and went back to reading his book.

collocation: careless shrug

Common collocations
  • careless grace
  • careless confidence
  • careless ease
  • careless laugh
  • careless shrug
Synonyms
  • carefree

    more common in everyday speech; suggests happiness and lack of worry

  • casual

    focuses on lack of effort or formality, not necessarily confidence

  • effortless

    suggests something looks easy and natural, often used about skills or style

Antonyms
  • anxious

    the opposite of relaxed

  • tense

    suggests nervous energy instead of calm confidence

Grammar Patterns

careless + noun (e.g. grace, confidence, laugh, shrug)

Usage Note

This sense is positive or neutral — it describes a relaxed, unaffected quality. It is common in descriptions of art, fashion, movement, and personal style. Do not confuse with sense 1 (NOT CAREFUL), which is always critical or negative.

Common Mistakes

She is so careless about her appearance — she never combs her hair.' (negative judgment)
She has a careless elegance that makes her look effortlessly stylish.
Sense 2 is positive; if you want to criticise, use sense 1.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Careless, reckless, negligent, and sloppy all describe a lack of proper attention, but they differ in strength and context. Careless is the most general word — it simply means not giving enough thought to what you are doing, which leads to mistakes. Reckless is much stronger: it implies someone knows there is danger but ignores it on purpose (e.g. reckless driving). Negligent is a formal term, often used in legal or professional settings, meaning someone failed to do what they were supposed to do (e.g. negligent parenting). Sloppy is informal and focuses on messy, untidy results rather than danger or duty (e.g. sloppy handwriting). If you make a careless typo in an email, that is careless. If you drive through a red light without looking, that is reckless. If a doctor forgets to check a patient's allergy history, that is negligent. If your desk is covered in coffee rings and loose papers, that is sloppy.

careless ↗recklessnegligentsloppy

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • extremely careless
  • quite careless
  • a little careless
  • remarkably careless

Phrases

  • careless of someone to do something

Prepositions

  • careless about
  • careless with
  • careless of

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Careless comes from the Old English word carleas, made up of caru (meaning 'sorrow, worry, or attention') and the suffix -leas ('without'). In Old English it first meant 'free from anxiety,' which matches today's second sense. Over hundreds of years, the meaning shifted toward the more critical idea of 'not paying enough attention,' which is now the main sense. The older, positive meaning survives in descriptions of relaxed style and movement.