random / indiscriminate
Loading your saved state.
random / indiscriminate
Without deliberate selection, a plan, or thought; arbitrary and random.
Er griff wahllos ein Buch aus dem Regal, ohne auf den Titel zu achten.
He grabbed a random book from the shelf without paying attention to the title.
The word consists of 'Wahl' (choice, decision) and the ending '-los,' which means 'without.' So 'wahllos' literally means 'without selection' or 'without making a decision.'
Viele Menschen sind mit ihrem Job unzufrieden, aber nicht arbeitslos.
Many people are dissatisfied with their job, but they are not unemployed.
'Wahllos' is very often used as an adverb to describe how an action is carried out: namely, randomly and without a plan. In this function, it is not declined.
Der Täter schoss wahllos in die Menge.
The attacker fired indiscriminately into the crowd.
The word often has a negative meaning. It suggests that an action is thoughtless, chaotic, or even destructive.
Die Zerstörung der Bibliothek wirkte völlig wahllos.
The destruction of the library seemed completely indiscriminate.
random / by chance
'zufällig' and 'wahllos' both have to do with a lack of planning. 'zufällig' says that something happens by chance and was not planned. 'wahllos' is used more when someone chooses something without a clear selection, without a system, or without thinking. This often sounds somewhat negative or disorderly. The words can be confused because in both cases there is no clear plan. In practice: a meeting can be 'zufällig' (by chance), but if someone chooses things without any order, they are acting 'wahllos' (randomly / indiscriminately).
Alina legte die Dokumente wahllos auf den Schreibtisch, weil sie in Eile war.
Alina placed the documents randomly on the desk because she was in a hurry.
Beim Frühstück hörte Lisa zufällig im Radio von dem neuen Kurs.
At breakfast, Lisa happened to hear about the new course on the radio.