Vocabulary Ladder · Cutting Corners
Rushing the work
Words for work done too quickly or without enough care, from everyday to precise and formal.
A2–B1Everyday
carelesssloppy
Everyday and clearly negative.
“There were a few careless errors in the deck.”
B2Confident
hastyrushed
Done too quickly to be done well.
“It was a hasty decision, and we regret it.”
C1Advanced
negligenthaphazard
Formal. Negligent can carry legal or professional blame.
“The files were stored in a haphazard way.”
C2Expert
perfunctorycavalier
Done only for the sake of it, or with no concern for the risk.
“The review was perfunctory, so the error was missed.”
PositiveNeutralNegative
Try this
Instead of “He didn’t check properly,” try “The checks were hasty, so we missed an error.”
Levels are a guide, based on how common and formal each word is. Dictionaries sometimes place a word one level higher or lower.