Foundation level · Year 4 · free
careless
adjective · Say it: KAIR-less
What it means
Foundationnot paying enough attention, so that mistakes or accidents happen
Jack made a careless mistake in his maths test because he rushed the last question.
Similar and opposite words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- negligent
- slapdash
- sloppy
- thoughtless
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- attentive
- careful
- thorough
More examples
- It was careless of me to leave my wet coat on the sofa.
Where the word comes from
From Old English 'carleas', meaning free from worry.
Try a quick question
One question about “careless”, the way 11+ papers ask it (Foundation level).