Anglais

carelessly

gb/kˈɛɹləsli/ us/kˈɛɹləsli/
B1 Anglais
Sens
0 sens
adverb B1 property
1

without enough care or attention

in a way that is not careful

Schéma d’usage : [do something] carelessly
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse the adverb carelessly with the adjective careless or use *careless* where *carelessly* is needed (e.g., *He drove careless*).
Synonymes
inattentively (emphasizes not paying attention.) | negligently (often suggests a duty was not met.) | sloppily (emphasizes poor quality and lack of neatness.)
Antonymes
carefully (with attention and care to avoid errors.) | attentively (with focused attention.) | meticulously (with extremely careful detail.)
Collocations
carelessly made |carelessly written |carelessly handled |carelessly placed |carelessly assembled |carelessly dropped |carelessly done |carelessly filled in |carelessly worded |carelessly stored
Thèmes
daily_life |school |work
Exemples
  • She carelessly copied the numbers and got the total wrong.
  • The glass broke because it had been carelessly handled.
  • He carelessly deleted the file without checking what it contained.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • Please don’t drive carelessly.
  • I wrote my name carelessly.
adverb B2 property
2

in a casual, unconcerned way

in a way that shows you do not care much

Schéma d’usage : [say/mention/treat] [someone/something] carelessly
Erreur fréquente :
This sense is about attitude (not caring), not only about making mistakes.
Synonymes
thoughtlessly (emphasizes not thinking about consequences.) | indifferently (emphasizes lack of interest or concern.) | casually (emphasizes informality; may be less negative.)
Antonymes
considerately (showing care for others’ feelings.) | thoughtfully (with careful consideration.) | seriously (with concern and importance.)
Collocations
carelessly dismissed |carelessly treated |carelessly ignored |carelessly mentioned |carelessly assumed |carelessly rejected |carelessly joked |carelessly commented |carelessly insulted |carelessly brushed off
Thèmes
emotions |relationships |communication
Exemples
  • He carelessly dismissed her concerns as “nothing.”
  • She carelessly mentioned his mistake in front of everyone.
  • They carelessly assumed the rules didn’t apply to them.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • Don’t speak carelessly to your friends.
adverb B2 property
3

in a reckless, unsafe way

in a dangerous way because you are not careful

Schéma d’usage : [drive/use/operate] carelessly
Erreur fréquente :
Carelessly can overlap with recklessly, but carelessly often implies lack of attention rather than deliberate risk-taking.
Synonymes
recklessly (stronger; suggests obvious risk.) | heedlessly (emphasizes ignoring warnings or consequences.) | dangerously (focuses on the level of risk created.)
Antonymes
cautiously (with care to avoid danger.) | safely (in a way that avoids harm.) | responsibly (with appropriate care and judgment.)
Collocations
carelessly drove |carelessly crossed |carelessly used |carelessly operated |carelessly fired |carelessly left |carelessly carried |carelessly swung |carelessly lit |carelessly stored
Thèmes
safety |transport |health
Exemples
  • He carelessly stepped into the street without looking.
  • The workers carelessly stored chemicals near a heat source.
  • She carelessly waved the knife around while talking.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • He walked carelessly on the wet floor.
adverb B1 property
4

in a messy, untidy way

not neatly; in a messy way

Schéma d’usage : [be/lie/hang] carelessly [somewhere]
Erreur fréquente :
In this sense, carelessly describes appearance/arrangement (messy), not necessarily an error.
Synonymes
messily (focuses on untidiness.) | untidily (neutral description of lack of neatness.) | haphazardly (emphasizes lack of order or planning.)
Antonymes
neatly (in an orderly, tidy way.) | tidily (with things arranged properly.) | orderly (with clear organization.)
Collocations
carelessly dressed |carelessly arranged |carelessly scattered |carelessly piled |carelessly thrown |carelessly draped |carelessly left |carelessly stacked |carelessly tossed |carelessly strewn
Thèmes
daily_life |home
Exemples
  • Books were carelessly piled on the floor.
  • His jacket hung carelessly over the back of the chair.
  • The papers were carelessly scattered across the desk.
Exemples pédagogiques
  • She left her clothes carelessly on the bed.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
carelessly
API
GB/kˈɛɹləsli/
US/kˈɛɹləsli/
Syllabes et accentuation
care - lessly (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (care)
Formes du mot
Noun
  • Base: carelessly
  • Plural: carelesslies
Famille de mots
Forms
carelesslies noun
Core family
care noun A2 careful adjective A2 carefully adverb A2
Negative and opposite forms
careless adjective B1 carelessness noun B1
Related words
caring adjective
Expressions

carelessly left behind

1
/kˈɛɹləsli lˈɛft bɪhˈaɪnd/
fixed phrase

forgotten and not taken away

forgotten and left somewhere

Exemples
  • His passport was carelessly left behind in the hotel room.
  • A bag was carelessly left behind on the train.
  • She realized her keys had been carelessly left behind at the office.

carelessly thrown together

1
/kˈɛɹləsli θɹˈoʊn təɡˈɛðɚ/
fixed phrase

made quickly without much thought

made too quickly and not well

Exemples
  • The report looked like it had been carelessly thrown together at the last minute.
  • It’s a carelessly thrown-together plan with no clear budget.
  • The costume seemed carelessly thrown together from old clothes.

carelessly tossed aside

1
/kˈɛɹləsli tˈɔst əsˈaɪd/
fixed phrase

discarded without thinking or respect

thrown away or put down without care

Exemples
  • The letter was carelessly tossed aside without being read.
  • Wet towels were carelessly tossed aside on the floor.
  • After the meeting, the notes were carelessly tossed aside.

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