reckless
REK-luss
/ˈrɛk.ləs/
Thinking or acting without care for the consequences of one's actions; heedless of danger.
Strongly emphasizes disregard for safety, law, or obvious hazard to oneself or others.
The story behind the word. In Old English, reccan meant 'to care for' or 'take heed of' (a verb preserved in the archaic phrase 'what reck I?'). Combining it with '-leas' yielded recceleas: literally 'care-less'. Over time, it developed a heavier sense of criminal or dangerous disregard.
Word relationships
- audacious: Audacious implies bold daring, often admired; reckless focuses purely on dangerous lack of thought.
- heedless: Heedless emphasizes ignoring advice or signs; reckless emphasizes active engagement in dangerous behavior.
- cautious: Cautious describes active attention to preventing danger or errors.
- mindful: Mindful emphasizes conscious awareness of impacts and consequences.
Commonly confused with
- wreckless: 'Wreckless' is a misspelling; the correct spelling is 'reckless' (without 'w').
Word family
- recklessly (adverb): In a manner marked by lack of caution.
- recklessness (noun): The state or quality of being reckless.
Collocations
- reckless driving
- reckless disregard
- reckless behavior
- reckless endangerment
Idioms & expressions
- play with fire
- throw caution to the wind
Example sentences
- "It was a reckless thing to do, but it was also a sort of protest." Political commentary on rebellion
- "The driver was charged with reckless endangerment after speeding through a active school zone." Legal charge in court
Memory hook
RECKLESS driving leads to a WRECK. Without a care for the coming crash.
When not to use
Do not use to describe mere quickness when no danger or harm is involved.
Fun facts
- The root verb 'reck' still exists in modern English as an archaic word meaning 'to care' or 'to mind'.
Explore more words
recklessness, imprudent, negligent, squander, Headstrong, Willful
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.