cautious
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does cautious mean? Cautious describes using, showing, or characterized by caution, which means a wariness in a dangerous situation, as in Vikram was a cautious man who never jumped straight into things. Cautious is often used to describe the behavior of a person who is concerned about impending danger or possible misfortune. If you are cautious, you are showing care or hesitation before taking an action.Cautious is also used in warnings, as in You should be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. The adverb form of cautious is cautiously, as in Shontel cautiously approached the rickety bridge. The noun form of cautious is cautiousness, as in They reacted with cautiousness to the suspicious man’s generosity. Example: It is a good idea to be cautious when signing contracts and consider your options first.
Related Words
See careful.
Other Word Forms
- cautiously adverb
- cautiousness noun
- hypercautious adjective
- hypercautiousness noun
- supercautious adjective
- ultracautious adjective
- ultracautiousness noun
- uncautious adjective
- uncautiousness noun
Etymology
Origin of cautious
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Indeed, investors are also looking toward a good deal of data this week, from additional earnings reports to jobs data and the latest reading on employment, with cautious optimism.
From Barron's
“That’s why we need to be really cautious in giving someone a diagnosis,” says Devi, who wrote a recent opinion piece published in the Annals of Internal Medicine outlining concerns about the different diagnostic criteria.
And this arguably creates a clear contrast with the more cautious instincts of the prime minister.
From BBC
“Yes, there’s a lot of activity down here. As you attempted to say earlier, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
From Literature
Some Federal Reserve officials have cited this possibility as a reason to be cautious about further interest-rate cuts.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
