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Showing results for overcautious. Search instead for overcautions.
Synonyms

overcautious

American  
[oh-ver-kaw-shuhs] / ˈoʊ vərˈkɔ ʃəs /

adjective

  1. excessively or unnecessarily cautious.

    Sometimes it doesn't pay to be overcautious in business.

Other Word Forms

  • overcautiously adverb
  • overcautiousness noun

Etymology

Origin of overcautious

First recorded in 1700–10; over- + 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.

But Alan Rusbridger, who sits on Meta's Oversight Board, says the industry has been "overcautious" in its moderation.

From BBC • May 31, 2023

We tend to be an overcautious and, therefore, dull group in such settings.

From Washington Post • Oct. 22, 2021

Be overcautious and a perfectly clear day goes to waste; be too bold and put the performers, audience and equipment at risk.

From New York Times • Aug. 4, 2021

The less time you spend being deliberately overcautious and reading online message boards, the better.

From Slate • Aug. 16, 2019

Kendra should have been captured as well, except she had been so overcautious since arriving at Fablehaven that she was still apparently shielded by the full power of the treaty.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

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.