English Explanatory Dictionary

harum-scarum

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. wild, careless, irresponsible
adv
  1. wildly, carelessly, irresponsibly
noun
  1. A giddy, rash person.

Pronunciation

/ˌhɛəɹəmˈskɛəɹəm/

Word forms

harum-scarum harum-scarums

Etymology

Uncertain. Likely from hare (“harass, harry”) 'em (“them”) and scare 'em (“frighten them”); alternately the first element may be from hare (“rabbit-like animals”), or the second element may be a variant of stare. Attested from the late 17th century. Compare English willy-nilly of the same meaning.

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