irresponsible
/ˌɪrɪˈspɒnsəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪrɪˈspɑːnsəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌir-i-ˈspän(t)-sə-bəl/ (ame, mw)
irresponsible — adjective
- irresponsiblepositive
- more irresponsiblecomparative
- most irresponsiblesuperlative
1. acting or behaving without thinking about the possible bad results that your act
acting or behaving without thinking about the possible bad results that your actions could bring, especially when someone else gets hurt or a situation gets worse.
It was irresponsible of Kenji to leave the campfire burning while he went swimming.
pattern: it + be + irresponsible + of + person + to-infinitive
Selim's irresponsible decision to skip the safety check caused a serious problem later.
attributive: irresponsible + noun (decision)
Abigail felt terribly irresponsible when she forgot to lock the back door before leaving.
Lending money to someone who never pays you back is irresponsible spending.
The newspaper accused the mayor of making irresponsible promises during the election campaign.
- reckless
stronger, implies a conscious disregard for danger rather than just neglect of duty
- careless
broader and milder; covers mistakes and inattention without the same moral judgement
- thoughtless
focuses on the social dimension — failing to consider others' feelings
- negligent
more formal, often used in legal or professional settings
- responsible
the direct opposite in all contexts
- conscientious
implies careful attention to duty and moral standards
文法句型
it + be + irresponsible + of + person + to-infinitive
irresponsible + noun (attributive)
feel/consider + someone + irresponsible (predicative)
用法筆記
Commonly used in the pattern 'it is irresponsible (of someone) to do something.' The adjective can appear before a noun (an irresponsible choice) or after linking verbs like 'be,' 'feel,' or 'seem.'
常見錯誤
irresponsible — noun
1. someone who often acts without concern for the harm their choices might cause to
someone who often acts without concern for the harm their choices might cause to other people or to a shared situation.
How can we trust an irresponsible like Henrik to manage the project budget?
countable: an irresponsible
The team leader called Amir an irresponsible for his constant lateness to team meetings.
countable: call someone an irresponsible
Anna refused to work with someone she knew was an irresponsible who never finished anything.
One irresponsible in the warehouse caused thousands in damage by ignoring safety rules.
文法句型
a/an + irresponsible
用法筆記
Less common than the adjective form. This noun usage is found mostly in spoken or informal written criticism.