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carelessly
/ˈkeərləsli/
without sufficient care or attention
He carelessly dropped his phone, cracking the screen.
He did not pay enough attention to where he was holding his phone, resulting in damage.
general
In a way that shows a lack of care, attention, or concern for safety or consequences.
She carelessly left the door unlocked while she was out.
She failed to secure the door due to a lack of attention.
The report was carelessly written, full of typos.
The report lacked attention to detail and contained many errors.
Often implies negligence or a failure to take reasonable precautions.
Collocations
carelessly throwto toss something without aiming or caring where it landscarelessly ignoreto disregard something without proper considerationcarelessly writtenwritten with few errors checked or little attention to style
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Careless vs. Accidental
Use 'carelessly' when someone could have prevented the mistake by paying attention. Use 'accidentally' when the mistake happened despite their best efforts or through no fault of their own.
Gold Rule
Adverb Placement
Place 'carelessly' before the main verb or at the end of the clause for emphasis. Example: 'He carelessly signed the paper' or 'He signed the paper carelessly.'
Word Origin
From Middle English 'careless' (without care or worry) + the adverbial suffix '-ly'. Originally meant 'free from care or anxiety' (positive), but shifted to 'not taking care' (negative) by the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Use 'carelessly' to describe actions done without thought for the outcome. It is stronger than 'accidentally' because it implies a fault in the actor's attention, not just bad luck.
Word Breakdown
care
attention, concern, or caution
root-less
without
suffix-ly
in a manner of
suffixEnglish Dictionary