YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

blithe

Adjective

IPA /blaɪð/

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Meaning in plain English

Showing a careless lack of concern about a problem or risk that other people believe should be taken seriously.

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Pronunciation

blithe/blaɪð/

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A storm warning appears
Someone casually dismisses the danger
Others take precautions

Blithe unconcern means treating a real risk too lightly and without enough care.

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Examples in context

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His blithe dismissal of the storm warning worried everyone.
The team's blithe confidence disappeared when the test results arrived.

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His ________ dismissal of the storm warning worried everyone.

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blithe — Showing a careless lack of concern about a problem or risk that other people believe should be taken seriously.

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Showing a careless lack of concern about a problem or risk that other people believe should be taken seriously.

Compare: His blithe dismissal of the storm warning worried everyone.

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Word origin

From Old English blithe, meaning happy; it is related to bliss.

Did you know?

Blithe has an older literary sense meaning cheerful or carefree, without the criticism implied here.

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