Reckless means acting without thinking about the dangers or consequences. A reckless person does something risky or careless, ignoring the harm that might result.

When a bicyclist weaves through traffic at high speed, dodging between cars without looking, that's reckless behavior. When someone posts embarrassing photos of their friends online without permission, not considering how it might hurt them, that's reckless too. A reckless driver might speed through a school zone, while a reckless spender might blow their entire allowance on candy without thinking about the book fair next week.

It's different from simply making a mistake or not knowing better: reckless people usually know something is dangerous or unwise, but do it anyway.

Being bold or brave is admirable, but recklessness crosses a line. A brave person takes calculated risks for good reasons. A reckless person just doesn't think things through. When someone calls an action reckless, they mean it was careless and dangerous in a way that could have been avoided with basic common sense.