Rash, a. [Compar. Rasher superl. Rashest.]
1. Sudden in action; quick; hasty. [Obs.] “Strong as aconitum or rash gunpowder.”
2. Requiring sudden action; pressing; urgent. [Obs.]
I scarce have leisure to salute you,
My matter is so rash. --Shak.
3. Esp., overhasty in counsel or action; precipitate; resolving or entering on a project or measure without due deliberation and caution; opposed to prudent; said of persons; as, a rash statesman or commander.
4. Uttered or undertaken with too much haste or too little reflection; as, rash words; rash measures.
5. So dry as to fall out of the ear with handling, as corn. [Prov. Eng.]
Syn: -- Precipitate; headlong; headstrong; foolhardy; hasty; indiscreet; heedless; thoughtless; incautious; careless; inconsiderate; unwary.
Usage: -- Rash, Adventurous, Foolhardy. A man is adventurous who incurs risk or hazard from a love of the arduous and the bold. A man is rash who does it from the mere impulse of his feelings, without counting the cost. A man is foolhardy who throws himself into danger in disregard or defiance of the consequences.
Was never known a more adventurous knight. --Dryden.
Her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she eat. --Milton.
If any yet be so foolhardy
To expose themselves to vain jeopardy;
If they come wounded off, and lame,
No honor's got by such a maim. --Hudibras.