thoughtless

THAWT-luhs

Thoughtless (adj) means Done without proper thought or care. Example: “It was a thoughtless comment that hurt her feelings.”

adj

Done without proper thought or care.

"It was a thoughtless comment that hurt her feelings."

Inconsiderate of other people.

"Leaving the door open in winter was a thoughtless thing to do."

How to use thoughtless

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishCareless or inconsiderate — done without stopping to think about the consequences or other people.

Easily confused with

thoughtful →

Common pairings

thoughtless remark thoughtless behavior

Word forms

more thoughtless comparative, most thoughtless superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

It was a _____ comment that hurt her feelings.

Etymology

From thought plus -less, meaning literally "lacking thought."

Frequently asked questions

What does “thoughtless” mean?

The word “thoughtless” means done without proper thought or care. In plain terms, careless or inconsiderate — done without stopping to think about the consequences or other people.

How do you pronounce “thoughtless”?

“Thoughtless” is pronounced THAWT-luhs (/ˈθɔtləs/ in IPA).

How do you use “thoughtless” in a sentence?

Here is “thoughtless” used in a sentence: “It was a thoughtless comment that hurt her feelings.”

What part of speech is “thoughtless”?

“Thoughtless” is an adjective.

How many meanings does “thoughtless” have?

“Thoughtless” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: done without proper thought or care.

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Vocabulary lists that include thoughtless:

B2 vocabulary words