rash1
/raʃ
/adjective
Acting or done without careful consideration of the possible consequences; impetuous: it would be extremely rash to make such an assumption a rash decision...
- Have we really thought through the consequences of rash action now?
- The reformist troops weren't rash or impetuous enough to do something so drastic without direct orders.
- So in reality her quick thinking and rash acting had caused Jeff to faint.
Synonyms
reckless, impetuous, impulsive, hasty, overhasty, foolhardy, incautious, precipitate, precipitous, premature, careless, heedless, thoughtless, imprudent, foolish, headstrong, adventurous, over-adventurous, hot-headed, daredevil, devil-may-care, overbold, audacious, indiscreet;
ill-considered, unconsidered, unthinking, ill-advised, injudicious, ill-judged, misguided, spur-of-the-moment, unthought-out, hare-brained, unwary, unguarded, wild, madcap
informal harum-scarum
rare temerarious
Derivatives
rashness
/ noun ...- Barth had the foolishness and rashness of the child that he was, quick to anger, slow to forgive, filled to the brim with pointless pride.
- One opposite to courage is cowardice, but another is rashness, foolhardiness.
- Better to try and fail than not to try at all, was his response to those who accused him of rashness and irresponsibility.
Origin
Late Middle English (also in Scots and northern English in the sense 'nimble, eager'): of Germanic origin; related to German rasch.
Rhymes
rash2
/raʃ/noun
1An area of redness and spots on a person’s skin, appearing especially as a result of illness: a red itchy rash appeared on her legs next day he broke out in a rash...
- In a few cases, major skin rashes appeared 12-24 hr following exposure.
- Certain inflammatory diseases can affect your skin, causing rashes and lesions.
- Prickly heat is a very itchy red skin rash, causing a prickling or burning feeling.
Synonyms
spots, skin eruption, breakout;
hives, heat rash, nettle rash, nappy rash
technical erythema, exanthema, urticaria, papules, roseola, purpura, pompholyx
rare efflorescence
2A series of things of the same type, especially when unwelcome, happening within a short space of time: a rash of strikes by health-service workers...
- The run-up to the 30th anniversary produced a rash of new revelations and bitter polemics.
- The rash of strikes on the railways and elsewhere should quickly disabuse them of that delusion.
- Just like they said when those very same refineries were shut down because of a rash of accidents, it was going to cost us.
Synonyms
series, succession;
spate, wave, flood, deluge, torrent;
outbreak, plague, epidemic, explosion, run, flurry
rare boutade
Origin
Early 18th century: probably related to Old French rasche 'eruptive sores, scurf'; compare with Italian raschia 'itch'.