thoughtless

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Not considering how your actions or words affect other people's feelings; inconsiderate.

   Grammar: Used to describe people or their actions. Often followed by 'of' when mentioning who is affected: thoughtless of him.

   Patterns

   • thoughtless of someone
   • it is thoughtless to do something
   • a thoughtless remark

   It was thoughtless of you to forget her birthday.

   His thoughtless comments hurt her deeply.

   She made a thoughtless remark and immediately regretted it.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Done or said without careful thinking; showing a lack of attention or planning.

   Grammar: Describes actions that are careless rather than deliberately unkind.

   Patterns

   • a thoughtless mistake
   • thoughtless spending
   • thoughtless behavior

   The report was full of thoughtless errors.

   His thoughtless spending left him in debt.

   A thoughtless decision can have serious consequences.

Word forms

Common combinations

thoughtless remark

He apologized for his thoughtless remark.

thoughtless of someone

That was thoughtless of her.

thoughtless behavior

The teacher warned him about his thoughtless behavior.

thoughtless mistake

The accident was caused by a thoughtless mistake.

Synonyms and how they differ

inconsiderate

Very similar, but often suggests a pattern of ignoring others' needs rather than a single act.

careless

Focuses on lack of attention or accuracy, not necessarily on hurting feelings.

unthinking

Emphasizes acting without thinking, often without any intention to harm.

Opposites

Word family

thoughtlessly adverb

In a thoughtless manner.

thoughtlessness noun

The quality of being thoughtless.

Commonly confused: thoughtless or thoughtful?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “thoughtless”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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