care less
1 of 2phrase
: not to care
—used positively and negatively with the same meaning
I could care less what happens. = I couldn't care less what happens.
1
a
: free from care : untroubled
careless days
b
: indifferent, unconcerned
careless of the consequences
2
: not taking care
My brother was too careless of his charge.—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare3
: not showing or receiving care:
b
: unstudied, spontaneous
a careless grace
a careless glance
c
obsolete
: unvalued, disregarded
carelessly
adverb
carelessness
noun
Examples of care less in a Sentence
Adjective
He is a careless worker.
She was careless with my things.
It was a careless mistake.
a newspaper known for careless reporting
Recent Examples on the Web
Philip Brittan, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The Honda driver was cited for careless driving.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 17 May 2026
After an almost year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office charged Pino with three misdemeanor counts of careless boating resulting in death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Dahlin earned another interference penalty later, and Zucker’s roughing penalty was careless.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for care less
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Adjective
Companies aren't careless—cleaning up massive repositories is genuinely painful work.
—Philip Brittan, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
The Honda driver was cited for careless driving.
—Nick Lentz, CBS News, 17 May 2026
After an almost year-long investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office charged Pino with three misdemeanor counts of careless boating resulting in death.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 May 2026
Dahlin earned another interference penalty later, and Zucker’s roughing penalty was careless.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for care less
Cite this Entry
“Care less.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/care%20less. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
careless
adjective
care·less
ˈke(ə)r-ləs 
ˈka(ə)r-
1
: free from care : not troubled
2
: not taking proper care
a careless worker
3
: done, made, or said without proper care
a careless mistake
carelessly
adverb
carelessness
noun
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