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overcautious

[oh-ver-kaw-shuh s]
See more synonyms for overcautious on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. excessively or unnecessarily cautious: Sometimes it doesn't pay to be overcautious in business.
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Origin of overcautious

First recorded in 1700–10; over- + cautious
Related formso·ver·cau·tious·ly, adverbo·ver·cau·tious·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

cautiousreservedrestrainedcircumspectcalculatingattentivecageycannycarefulcharydiscreetgingerlyleerynoncommittalprudentreticentsafevigilantwarywatchful

Examples from the Web for overcautious

Historical Examples

  • I may be overcautious, but I much prefer a carriage to myself.

    Golden Stories

    Various

  • 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

  • The glory that might have been so easily won was placed beyond my reach by this overcautious imbecile.

  • A hysteric fear of possible loss, an unreasonable distrust of banks and bankers, keeps the overcautious away from the market.

  • You are right in questioning us, for under such situations a soldier had best be overcautious than too credulous.