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careful

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of careful

1 having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

  • careful drivers slow down on slick or icy roadways
Synonyms of careful

alert, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary
Words Related to careful

advertent, attentive, awake, observant, regardful, vigilant, watchful

hypercautious

foresighted, foresightful, forethoughtful, provident, thoughtful

cagey (also cagy), calculating, canny, shrewd

deliberate, slow

ultracareful, ultracautious
Near Antonyms of careful

bold, brash, impetuous, rash, reckless, venturesome

asleep, inattentive, regardless

inconsiderate, thoughtless

lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss

imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious

absentminded, forgetful

inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned
Antonyms of careful

careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unsafe, unwary

2 taking, showing, or involving great care and effort

  • that furniture maker was known to be a most careful worker, so his output was small
Synonyms of careful

conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, painstaking, scrupulous
Words Related to careful

assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous

exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing

alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful

accurate, exact, precise, strict

critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular

cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary

deliberate, plodding, slow

studied, thoughtful

all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealous
Near Antonyms of careful

cursory, halfhearted

heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary

lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly

imprecise

inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating

bold, impetuous, rash, reckless

apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish
Antonyms of careful

careless

Synonym Discussion of careful

careful, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious mean showing close attention to detail. careful implies attentiveness and cautiousness in avoiding mistakes.
    • a careful worker
meticulous may imply either commendable extreme carefulness or a hampering finicky caution over small points.
    • meticulous scholarship
scrupulous applies to what is proper or fitting or ethical.
    • scrupulous honesty
punctilious implies minute, even excessive attention to fine points.
    • punctilious observance of ritual

Learn More about careful

  1. Dictionary: Definition of careful Spanish Central: Translation of careful Nglish: Translation of careful for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of careful for Arabic speakers

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