What does harum-scarum mean?
Harum-scarum means wild, careless, irresponsible.
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/ˌhɛəɹəmˈskɛəɹəm/ · adjective
wild, careless, irresponsible.
1832, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Eugene Aram Lester's good heart will be to hear that little Peter is so improved;--no longer a dissolute, harum-scarum fellow, throwing away his money, and always in debt.
1800, Maria Edgeworth, Castle Rackrent […] for he never looked after anything at all, but harum-scarum called for everything as if we were conjurors, or he in a public-house.
Use harum-scarum when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Harum-scarum means wild, careless, irresponsible.
Common synonyms include devil-may-care, carefree, lunatic, freewheeling.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
1832, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Eugene Aram Lester's good heart will be to hear that little Peter is so improved;--no longer a dissolute, harum-scarum fellow, throwing away his money, and always in debt.
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