CARELESSNESS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

carelessness

noun

as in negligence

failure to take the care that a cautious person usually takes the only errors you made were from carelessness, not lack of knowledge

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of carelessness Her behavior shows a carelessness about money, the kind of real money that could send a person to college. — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026 But that drop in intensity quickly veered into carelessness, with the defence failing to assert its composure amid loose passes and hapless communication mix-ups. — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026 Conflicts and tragedies are almost always the result of carelessness or accidents that spiral totally out of control. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026 But even for an opener, Nix’s sloppiness was un-Bo-lievable, his carelessness with the ball alarming, given the stage. — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Sep. 2026 It gets filed alongside carelessness, disorganization and not really trying, and the people who display it often apologize for it as though they’d been caught slacking. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Either this is an issue of carelessness or a lack of communication between you and the cleaning service. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026 Once, administrators confronted him about the carelessness of his grading. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 31 May 2026 That's not chance or carelessness. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for carelessness

negligence

Noun

Protesters said that rampant graft led to negligence during renovation work at the Novi Sad station, and eventually to the canopy collapse.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Hwang had barred Rinderknecht’s attorney, Steve Haney, from raising allegations of negligence by the fire department.

— Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of negligence

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carelessly

carelessness

care package

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“Carelessness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carelessness. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of carelessness

noun

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