recklessness

/ˈrɛklɪsnɪs/

/ˈrɛklɪsnɪs/

Other forms: recklessnesses

Recklessness is acting without thinking about whether your actions might be dangerous. A speeding driver's recklessness can result in the loss of their license.

While recklessness can be relatively innocent — think of the recklessness of kids doing wild tricks on their skateboards or the recklessness of your friend not doing his homework because he doubts there will really be a math quiz tomorrow. Some kinds of recklessness are more serious, like when your sister accepts a dare to jump off the garage roof onto a trampoline. Recklessness comes from the obsolete reck, "pay heed to something."

Definitions of recklessness

1. noun

   the trait of giving little thought to danger
   synonyms: foolhardiness, rashness

   types:

   adventurism

   recklessness in politics or foreign affairs

   brashness

   the trait of being rash and hasty

   desperation

   desperate recklessness

   type of:

   thoughtlessness, unthoughtfulness

   the trait of not thinking carefully before acting