Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

haphazard

American  
[hap-haz-erd, hap-haz-erd] / hæpˈhæz ərd, ˈhæpˌhæz ərd /

adjective

  1. characterized by lack of order or planning, by irregularity, or by randomness; determined by or dependent on chance; aimless.

    Synonyms:
    helter-skelter, slapdash, careless, unsystematic, disorganized
    Antonyms:
    organized, systematic, methodical

adverb

  1. haphazardly.

noun

  1. mere chance; accident.

haphazard British  
/ hæpˈhæzəd /

adverb

  1. at random

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. careless; slipshod

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. rare chance

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • haphazardly adverb
  • haphazardness noun

Etymology

Origin of haphazard

First recorded in 1565–75; hap 1 + hazard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Nearly 3.5 million pages were released in January, many riddled with haphazard or incomplete redactions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Trailing 7-6 going into the final end, they were without the hammer and looked set to suffer a decisive defeat after a haphazard performance.

From BBC

In fact, Gowda's collection doesn't have a librarian and books are stacked on shelves and piled on the floor in a haphazard manner.

From BBC

For many years, surveillance and censorship were haphazard and unevenly enforced.

From The Wall Street Journal

For now, though, the experience remains haphazard and lacks standardization.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.