reckless

This word carries a heavy sense of negligence and a total disregard for consequences. It describes a state of mind where the actor knows a risk exists but chooses to ignore it, often resulting in a feeling of volatility or danger. It is far more severe than being careless, which implies a simple mistake or a lapse in attention. In legal and professional contexts, it denotes a specific level of culpability where the person acted with willful indifference. Socially, it is almost always used negatively, painting the subject as impulsive, unstable, or dangerously overconfident.