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

Stock futures steadied as investors turned cautious ahead of Nvidia's earnings, which could set the tone for the AI trade heading into the fall. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

United are, though, said to be cautious over any further spending, and would look to strike a loan deal. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

On one side, making traditional AAA games has become dramatically more expensive, which makes publishers more cautious around taking risks with new developers and new IP. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026

The last few weeks of summer are here, and with many people planning last-minute trips before fall officially starts, safety experts are advising travelers to be cautious of common scams. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 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
• nauseous

Kids Definition

cautious

adjective

cau·​tious ˈkȯ-shəs 

: marked by or given to caution

a cautious reply

cautiously adverb

cautiousness noun