cautious

adjective

cau·​tious ˈkȯ-shəs 

: careful about avoiding danger or risk

cautious investors

cautious optimism

cautiously adverb

cautiousness noun

Synonyms

• alert
• careful
• chary
• circumspect
• conservative
• considerate
• gingerly
• guarded
• heedful
• safe
• wary

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

However, experts urged investors to be cautious as officials must still come up with ways of stabilizing the property market, which once accounted for as much as 30% of economic activity. —Juliana Liu, CNN, 27 Sep. 2024

After a cautious, physical and scoreless first half, Giroud’s first goal since joining LAFC this summer gave the team a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024

In their view, the victory of Kamala Harris would likely prolong the policies of the Biden administration, which Zelensky and his advisers see as overly cautious and indecisive in standing up to Russia. —Simon Shuster, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024

But having endured an unprecedented boom, followed by a crushing bust, producers in the region remain cautious about the future. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see caution entry 1

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cautious

• hyper-cautious

Kids Definition

cautious

adjective

cau·​tious ˈkȯ-shəs 

: marked by or given to caution

a cautious reply

cautiously adverb

cautiousness noun