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overcautious

[ oh-ver-kaw-shuhs ]

/ ˈoʊ vərˈkɔ ʃəs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR overcautious

adjective

excessively or unnecessarily cautious: Sometimes it doesn't pay to be overcautious in business.

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Question 1 of 9

You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.

To stew in a sauce for a long time.

To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.

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Origin of overcautious

First recorded in 1700–10; over- + cautious

OTHER WORDS FROM overcautious

o·ver·cau·tious·ly, adverbo·ver·cau·tious·ness, noun

Words nearby overcautious

overcapacity, overcapitalize, overcareful, overcast, overcasting, overcautious, overcertify, overcharge, overcheck, overclass, overclock

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for overcautious

The glory that might have been so easily won was placed beyond my reach by this overcautious imbecile.
The Guerilla Chief|Mayne Reid
I may be overcautious, but I much prefer a carriage to myself.
Golden Stories|Various
A hysteric fear of possible loss, an unreasonable distrust of banks and bankers, keeps the overcautious away from the market.
Psychology and Social Sanity|Hugo Mnsterberg
You are right in questioning us, for under such situations a soldier had best be overcautious than too credulous.
The Minute Boys of the Mohawk Valley|James Otis

An overcautious lawyer-like captiousness of spirit in such matters will help no cause and serve no good purpose.
Creation and Its Records|B.H. Baden-Powell

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