thoughtless
gb/θˈɔtləs/ us/θˈɔtləs/
B2
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
not caring about others' feelings
Not thinking about other people’s feelings, so what you do or say seems rude or unkind.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is thoughtless (about [someone/something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think “thoughtless” means “having no thoughts” or “stupid.” In this sense, it does not mean unintelligent; it means not caring enough about other people’s feelings or comfort.
Synonyms
inconsiderate (Stronger in tone and slightly more formal; focuses clearly on not thinking about other people’s needs.)
Antonyms
considerate (Describes someone who carefully thinks about other people’s feelings and needs.)
Collocations
a thoughtless remark
|a thoughtless comment
|thoughtless behavior
|it was thoughtless of [someone]
|incredibly thoughtless
|selfish and thoughtless
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|social_behavior
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- It was really thoughtless of you to play loud music so late at night.
- He made a thoughtless remark about her weight that hurt her feelings.
- Leaving without saying goodbye seemed cold and thoughtless.
- She can be quite thoughtless about how her jokes make other people feel.
- Posting that photo without asking her first was incredibly thoughtless.
Learner examples
- It was thoughtless of me to forget your birthday.
- He is often thoughtless and says unkind things.
- That was a very thoughtless comment to make to your friend.
- She felt hurt by his thoughtless words.
- Playing music at 3 a.m. is thoughtless to your neighbors.
adjective
B2
property
2
done quickly without thinking
Done or said without careful thinking, often causing mistakes or problems.
Usage pattern:
a thoughtless [action/decision/remark]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think “thoughtless” always means “rude.” In this sense it can simply mean “not careful” or “not well planned,” even if no one’s feelings are hurt.
Synonyms
careless (Focuses more on lack of attention to detail; “thoughtless” can also suggest acting too quickly without planning.)
Antonyms
careful (Describes doing or saying something with attention and planning, trying to avoid mistakes or problems.)
Collocations
a thoughtless mistake
|a thoughtless decision
|thoughtless actions
|thoughtless spending
|a thoughtless response
|quick and thoughtless
Themes
daily_life
|decision_making
|social_behavior
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She later regretted her thoughtless decision to quit without another job.
- It was a thoughtless mistake, made because he was rushing to finish the report.
- A few thoughtless clicks on a link infected the whole office computer system.
- Their thoughtless spending during the holidays left them short of money in January.
- He gave a quick, thoughtless answer and realized afterward that it was wrong.
Learner examples
- I made a thoughtless mistake on the exam.
- That was a thoughtless decision, and now we have a problem.
- Her thoughtless actions caused a lot of extra work.
- They went on a thoughtless shopping trip and spent too much money.
- He sent a thoughtless email and later wanted to take it back.
Grammar
Dictionary form
thoughtless
IPA
GB/θˈɔtləs/
US/θˈɔtləs/
Syllables & stress
thought - less (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (thought)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: thoughtless
Word family
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
thoughtlessly
adverb
thoughtlessness
noun
Related words
thinker
noun B2
thinking
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.