MEANING
Reckless, disorganized, and careless about consequences.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- a harum-scarum approach
- harum-scarum adventures
On the page
His harum-scarum approach worked until the expedition needed a reliable schedule.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- harum-scarum
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Normally non-gradable adjective; also an invariable adverb. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character. Commonness: uncommon.
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