harumscarum
əmˈskɛər adjective
1.
reckless; rash; irresponsible: He had a harum-scarum youth.
2.
disorganized; uncontrolled.
adverb
3.
recklessly; wildly: He ran harum-scarum all over the place.
noun
4.
a reckless person.
5.
reckless or unpredictable behavior or action.
Related forms
har·um-scar·um·ness, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. erratic, impulsive, impetuous; giddy, scatterbrained.
1, 2. erratic, impulsive, impetuous; giddy, scatterbrained.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To harumscarum
00:10
Harumscarum
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
harum-scarum (ˈhɛərəmˈskɛərəm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj, —adv | |
| 1. | in a reckless way or of a reckless nature |
| —n | |
| 2. | a person who is impetuous or rash |
| [C17: perhaps from hare (in obsolete sense: harass) + scare, variant of | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
harum-scarum
1674, probably a compound of obsolete hare "harry" + scare, with 'um as a reduced form of them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Nearby Words
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