wantonly
/ˈwɒntənli
/adverb
1In a deliberate and unprovoked manner: during the raids, the police wantonly destroyed property these children are being wantonly misled...
- In 568 the Lombards invaded, a people even more wantonly destructive than the Vandals.
- All this destruction had been wantonly brought about by him.
- He denied ever being told anything about his troops wantonly killing large groups of civilians.
1.1In a reckless manner: he was wantonly extravagant with his money they add teams wantonly...
- There are people who feel that gamers are wantonly throwing their lives away, spending so much times playing games.
- It seems wantonly reckless to throw away even a tenuous link.
- It's just freaking people out that we're so wantonly wasting water here.
2In a sexually immodest or promiscuous manner: she pressed herself against him wantonly...
- They are sleazy, doped-up debs unable to control their desire to be wantonly worked over by drooling dolts.
- It is seen as the result of individual irresponsibility, of people wantonly sleeping around and neglecting to practise safe sex.
- Her eyes, her cruelly turned eyebrow, and her wantonly parted lips evoked a whole range of feelings I'm still trying to fathom.
literary
3Profusely: viruses continue to spread wantonly across networks...
- I overdosed so wantonly on celluloid, in fact, that the Olympic torch came to town and I missed it.
- Musically, he drew wantonly from every conceivable style.
- Raspberries sucker and spread wantonly, so you only need to buy one plant to get started.
3.1In a playful or lively manner: marriage is not something to be undertaken wantonly...
- You could get caught wantonly mucking up a wedding ceremony, if you put up your hand when the vicar says 'does anyone present know of just reason...' etc. and say 'because the bride is made entirely out of meringue!'
- Whilst we were sailing, a marmoset chanced upon the book, as it was negligently laid by, which wantonly playing therewith plucked out certain leaves, and tore them in pieces.
- Draw a chart of similarities between true roses and canker roses: both are deep dyed, both hang on thorns, both play wantonly as the zephyr discloses their covered buds.