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

The firm says inflation, oil prices and cautious hiring are likely to lead to even fewer jobs this year, resulting in the lowest summer hiring total for teens since the federal government began tracking it in 1948. —ABC News, 18 June 2026

The current ceasefire deserves cautious optimism in the near term. —Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

He had been limited to indoor work at the team’s training center with physiotherapists and fitness coaches, with Brazil being cautious about his return to action. —Reuters, NBC news, 18 June 2026

Another plus for the On brand could be management’s cautious outlook, maintaining full-year sales outlook, excluding foreign exchange, at up 23 percent even after delivering a 26 percent-plus topline growth in the first quarter. —Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 18 June 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