English word
Careful
Definitions
adjective
- marked by wary caution or prudence
- marked by attentive concern and solicitude
- marked by painstaking effort to avoid errors or omissions
- exercising or taking care
- solicitous, anxious
- filling with care or solicitude
Synonyms for careful
Closest evidence-backed alternatives.
- cautious
- alert
- wary
- exhaustive
- painstaking
- precise
Synonyms by context
Done with or showing thought and attention
adjective
- conscientious
- scrupulous
- meticulous
- attentive
- accurate
- fastidious
- particular
- punctilious
- thorough
Avoiding potential danger, mishap, or harm
adjective
- heedful
- chary
- circumspect
- guarded
- vigilant
- apprehensive
Prudent in the use of something, especially money
adjective
- frugal
- economical
- sparing
- thrifty
- economic
- miserly
- prudent
- sensible
- abstemious
- canny
Used to warn someone to proceed with caution
interjection
- be careful
- look out
- watch out
- tread lightly
- easy does it
- watch your back
- be wary
- careful now
Antonyms for careful
- careless
- casual
- cavalier
- imprudent
- neglectful
- reckless
- indiscreet
- unwary
Opposite of done with or showing thought and attention
Opposite of avoiding potential danger, mishap, or harm
- incautious
- unmindful
- absent-minded
- improvident
- uncautious
- hasty
- reckless
- unwary
Opposite of prudent in the use of something, especially money
- prodigal
- profligate
- dissipated
- extravagant
- spendthrift
- squandering
- wasteful
- intemperate
Phrases
- by the book
- by the numbers
- crossing the t's
- dead on
- difficult to please
- dotting the i's
- eager beaver
- easily disgusted
- extremely careful
- from a to z
- going to great lengths
- hard to please
- impossible to please
- like bull in a china shop
- minding p's and q's
- off guard
- thinking twice
- very careful
- well organized
- well thought-out