Definition

1. Verb (archaic, chiefly used in negative constructions or with "little"): To care about, to be concerned or troubled by something; to heed or take notice of.

Usage Examples

• (He does not care about or worry about the danger.)
• (She has very little concern for the gossip.)
• (What does it matter to them? — an archaic rhetorical use.)

Advanced Usage

• "to reck not": a fixed phrase meaning to be indifferent or unconcerned.

  • The king recked not of the people's suffering. (The king was indifferent to the suffering of his people.)

• "What recks it...": an archaic rhetorical construction meaning "What does it matter..."

  • What recks it me whether you stay or go? (What does it matter to me whether you stay or go?)

Variants and Related Words

• Reckless (adj): showing a lack of care about danger or consequences; the most common modern derivative.

  • His reckless driving caused the accident. (His driving showed no concern for safety.)

• Reckoning (n): the act of calculating or considering; also, a settlement of accounts or consequences.

  • The day of reckoning had finally come. (The day when one must face the consequences of one's actions.)

Synonyms

• Heed: to pay attention to; to take notice of.
• Care: to feel concern or interest.
• Mind: to be troubled by; to object to.

Related Idioms

• To reck nothing of: to have no regard or concern for.

  • He recked nothing of the warnings from his friends. (He completely ignored his friends' warnings.)

• To reck little of: to have very little concern for.

  • She recks little of the cost, as long as the work is done well. (She is not very concerned about the cost.)