Standard Lemma guide

recklessness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: R EH1 K L AH0 S N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or quality of being reckless or heedless, of taking unnecessary risks.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • His recklessness repeatedly put him in danger.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the trait of giving little thought to danger

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: foolhardiness, rashness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: unthoughtfulness, thoughtlessness

Narrower terms: adventurism, brashness, desperation

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *rōkijaną Proto-West Germanic *rōkijan Old English rēċan Proto-Indo-European *lewh1- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Old English rēċelēas Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh2yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h2ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Old English rēċelēasnes Middle English reklesnes English recklessness From Middle English reklesnes, reklesnesse, rekelesnesse (also assibilated as rechelesnes, reccheleesnesse), from Old English rēcelēasnes (“recklessness, carelessness, negligence”), equivalent to reckless + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَهَوُّر (tahawwur) — being reckless
  • Catalan: temeritat — being reckless
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鲁莽 (lǔmǎng) — being reckless
  • Chinese Mandarin: 莽撞 (mǎngzhuàng) — being reckless
  • Esperanto: malzorgemo — being reckless
  • German: Leichtsinnigkeit — being reckless
  • German: Fahrlässigkeit — being reckless
  • German: Gewagtheit — being reckless
  • German: Rücksichtslosigkeit — being reckless
  • Greek: αψηφισιά (apsifisiá) — being reckless
  • Hebrew: רַשְׁלָנוּת (rashlanút) — being reckless
  • Indonesian: kesembronoan — being reckless
  • Portuguese: descuido — being reckless
  • Portuguese: negligência — being reckless
  • Romanian: nechibzuință — being reckless
  • Romanian: nesăbuință — being reckless
  • Romanian: imprudență — being reckless
  • Romanian: nesocotință — being reckless
  • Spanish: descuido — being reckless
  • Spanish: negligencia — being reckless
  • Spanish: temeridad — being reckless
  • Spanish: osadía — being reckless
  • Spanish: imprudencia — being reckless
  • Thai: ความบ้าระห่ํา — being reckless
  • Ukrainian: нерозсудливість (nerozsudlyvistʹ) — being reckless