cautious

adjective

cau·​tious ˈkȯ-shəs 

: careful about avoiding danger or risk

cautious investors

cautious optimism

cautiously adverb

cautiousness noun

Synonyms of cautious

• careful
• wary
• alert

Choose the Right Synonym for cautious

cautious, circumspect, wary, chary mean prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk.

cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger.

a cautious driver

circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding.

circumspect in his business dealings

wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it.

keeps a wary eye on the competition

chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely.

chary of signing papers without having read them first

Examples of cautious in a Sentence

Any cautious tourist will guard her passport.

You cannot be overly cautious when you're driving in snow.

He answered the question with a cautious reply.

Recent Examples on the Web

But for residents of western North Carolina who are still waiting for aid, Mullin struck a cautious tone. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

Those developments were enough to sustain cautious investor optimism on Wall Street. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026

Doctors initially took a cautious approach, choosing to monitor her progress before making any major decisions. —Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 7 Apr. 2026

At 64, Shay Smith would like to add to her eight tattoos, but is cautious about limiting her work as a community theater actress in Richmond with too much ink. —Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

see caution entry 1

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cautious

• hyper-cautious

Rhymes for cautious

• incautious
• monoecious
• nauseous

Kids Definition

cautious

adjective

cau·​tious ˈkȯ-shəs 

: marked by or given to caution

a cautious reply

cautiously adverb

cautiousness noun