Without order or fixed purpose, haphazardly, as in Jackson Pollock dropped paints on canvas seemingly at random. Originally this phrase meant "very speedily" and "heedlessly." Shakespeare had the present usage in 1 Henry VI (5:3): "He talks at random; sure the man is mad." [Late 1500s]
at random
| Idioms: at random |
| WordNet: at random |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The adverb has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
in a random manner
Synonyms: randomly, indiscriminately, haphazardly, willy-nilly, arbitrarily, every which way
| Shopping: at random |
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Copyrights:
 |
 | Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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