careful
Americanadjective
-
cautious in one's actions.
Be careful when you cross the street.
- Synonyms:
- circumspect, chary, guarded, watchful
-
taking pains in one's work; exact; thorough.
a careful typist.
- Synonyms:
- scrupulous, meticulous
-
(of things) done or performed with accuracy or caution.
careful research.
- Synonyms:
- rigorous
-
solicitously mindful (usually followed by of, about, orin ).
careful of the rights of others;
careful about one's behavior;
careful in speech.
- Synonyms:
- regardful, heedful, attentive, solicitous, concerned, thoughtful
-
Archaic.
-
full of anxiety or care; troubled.
-
causing or attended with anxiety.
a careful day.
-
adjective
-
cautious in attitude or action; prudent
-
painstaking in one's work; thorough
he wrote very careful script
-
(usually postpositive; foll by of, in, or about) solicitous; protective
careful of one's reputation
-
archaic full of care; anxious
-
mean or miserly
Related Words
Careful, cautious, discreet, wary imply a watchful guarding against something. Careful implies guarding against mistakes, by paying strict and close attention to details, and, often, trying to use good judgment: He was careful to distinguish between them. Cautious implies a fear of some unfavorable situation and investigation before coming to conclusions: cautious about investments. Discreet implies being prudent in speech and action and being trustworthy as a confidant: discreet in manner, in keeping secrets. Wary implies a vigilant lookout for a danger suspected or feared: wary of polite strangers. See painstaking.
Other Word Forms
- carefully adverb
- carefulness noun
- quasi-careful adjective
- ultracareful adjective
Etymology
Origin of careful
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English carful, cearful; care, -ful
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.
Carmen said: "I'm usually very careful about tracking and cancelling subscriptions, but Adobe Creative Cloud's approach felt especially unfair and difficult to manage."
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
“These were very serious allegations, and we are grateful to the Court for its careful review of the facts, law and voluminous evidence,” they added.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
And while students should be careful not to overborrow relative to the income they expect to earn after graduating, he said, “there is nothing wrong with limited amounts of debt.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
“After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role,” an email to one affected employee says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Okay, that was improbable, seeing as he hadn’t even realized who I was at first, but one could never be too careful when it came to Rachel’s machinations.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
