thoughtless
/ˈθɔːtləs/ (bre, ipa) · [θˈɔtləs] /ˈθɔːtləs/ (ame, ipa) · [θˈɔtləs] /ˈthȯt-ləs How to pronounce thoughtless (audio)/ (ame, mw)
thoughtless — adjective
- thoughtlesspositive
- more thoughtlesscomparative
- most thoughtlesssuperlative
1. behaving or speaking in a way that shows you have not thought about how other pe
behaving or speaking in a way that shows you have not thought about how other people might feel or what they might need
It was thoughtless of Ishaan to talk loudly on the phone during the meeting.
it + be + thoughtless + of + person + to-infinitive
Shirin regretted her thoughtless comment about her colleague's new haircut.
The children's thoughtless games damaged the elderly neighbour's flower garden.
A thoughtless remark at dinner created an awkward silence across the table.
Marta apologised for her thoughtless words during the team discussion.
- inconsiderate
most direct synonym; same meaning and register
- tactless
specifically about saying the wrong thing in a social situation
- insensitive
focuses more on not noticing or caring about others' emotions
- considerate
the direct opposite — thinking about how your actions affect others
- thoughtful
implies actively trying to make others feel good, not just avoiding hurting them
文法句型
it + be + thoughtless + of + someone + to do something
thoughtless + noun (remark / comment / words / act)
用法筆記
Common in the pattern 'it was thoughtless of someone to do something'. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes careless errors or oversights, not behaviour that upsets people.
常見錯誤
2. done or produced without taking the time to think carefully, often resulting in
done or produced without taking the time to think carefully, often resulting in mistakes or problems
A thoughtless error in the calculations cost the company thousands of dollars.
thoughtless + error / mistake (careless action mistakes)
In a thoughtless moment, Tendai sent the email without checking the attachments.
in a thoughtless moment (short episode of carelessness)
Putri's thoughtless handling of the chemicals almost caused a serious accident.
The mechanic's thoughtless repair left the car in worse condition than before.
A thoughtless slip of the pen changed '50' into '500' on the order form.
文法句型
thoughtless + noun (error / mistake / decision / moment)
用法筆記
Often modifies nouns for oversights or errors (thoughtless mistake, thoughtless error, thoughtless slip). Not used to describe someone who lacks intelligence — that meaning is 'stupid', not 'thoughtless'. Distinguish from sense 1, which focuses on upsetting others rather than making mistakes.