carelessness

/ˈkeələsnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkerləsnəs/ (ame, ipa)

carelessness — noun

1. the quality or habit of not giving enough thought or attention to what you are d

1.名詞B1
釋義

the quality or habit of not giving enough thought or attention to what you are doing, so that mistakes or accidents happen

例句

Fatima's carelessness at the airport cost her a passport and a flight to Tokyo.

possessive + carelessness + [prepositional phrase specifying context]

Leaving the oven on was a moment of carelessness that caused a small kitchen fire.

a moment of carelessness + gerund clause describing the careless act

同義詞
  • negligence

    more formal, often used in legal or professional contexts for a failure to meet a duty of care

  • inattention

    focuses on the lack of focus itself rather than the resulting mistake or accident

  • recklessness

    stronger — implies awareness of the risk but choosing to ignore it anyway

反義詞
  • care

    the attention and thought given to doing something properly and avoiding mistakes

  • caution

    care taken specifically to avoid danger, risk, or negative consequences

文法句型

carelessness + in + [noun/gerund]

carelessness + with + [noun]

possessive + carelessness

act/moment of carelessness

用法筆記

Uncountable noun in most contexts — do not use 'a carelessness'. Carries a negative connotation of blame or fault; contrast with 'carefreeness', which describes a positive state of being free from worry.

常見錯誤

❌He showed a carelessness in his work.
✅He showed carelessness in his work.
💡carelessness is uncountable and does not take the indefinite article 'a'.
❌Her carelessness made her lose the keys.
✅Her carelessness caused her to lose the keys.
💡'make someone do something' implies force or compulsion; 'cause someone to do something' is the correct pattern for a quality leading to an outcome.