1
as in cautious
having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
careful drivers slow down on slick or icy roadways
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meticulous
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in caution
a close attentiveness to avoiding danger
her natural carefulness keeps her from having car accidents and the high insurance premiums that go with them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attention
strict attentiveness to what one is doing
a degree of carefulness is required to get the details just right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in kindness
archaic
attention accompanied by protectiveness and responsibility
with what carefulness they tended the frail princess day and night!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of careful
Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump’s immigration agenda.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Early-stage international expansion requires careful legal and tax entity structuring, banking setup, capital planning and foreign exchange management.
—Sunayana Gutta, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Rome is known to be a relatively safe city (though tourists should be careful about pickpockets around popular sites) and easy to get around.
—Daliah Singer, Denver Post, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for careful
Adjective
This decision reflects careful consideration and was made in light of today’s challenging financial environment.
—Imani Cruzen, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump’s immigration agenda.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Early-stage international expansion requires careful legal and tax entity structuring, banking setup, capital planning and foreign exchange management.
—Sunayana Gutta, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
Rome is known to be a relatively safe city (though tourists should be careful about pickpockets around popular sites) and easy to get around.
—Daliah Singer, Denver Post, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for careful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for careful
Adjective
-
The Chiefs, who have a history of being cautious with their rookies during summer practices, nonetheless had Simmons participate in non-team drills during rookie minicamp last month.—
Jesse Newell,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
-
Here are some tips to choose high-quality olive oil: Be cautious with olive oils that bear significantly lower prices.—
Sohaib Imtiaz,
Verywell Health,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
This meticulous attention to detail makes the P3 series particularly effective for low-light observation, providing users with vibrant and clear views in challenging lighting conditions like those found whilst stargazing.—
Matt Morris,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
-
Dungarpur recalls long hours spent restoring the film, reflecting on Ray’s meticulous attention to detail and how every frame was carefully storyboarded.—
THR India Staff,
HollywoodReporter,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
The club is exercising extreme caution with the 24-year-old Mauricio.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
-
Out of an abundance of caution, Hormel Foods is voluntarily recalling 17,080 cases of a single code date of 20 oz.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
That song actually came late to that album; we were done recording and then the song was brought to my attention by Jonathan Daniel, who was managing Butch Walker at the time, who produced three of the songs.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
-
Momentous Human Payoff Ahead Moving the needle on the subjective vs. objective preponderance in psychology is going to take earnest and undeterred energy and attention.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
By Carol McCloud, Illustrated by David Messing Summary: This book explains clearly and simply how everyone has an invisible bucket that can be filled through small acts of kindness or emptied by acts of thoughtlessness or cruelty.—
Esther K. Choy,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
-
Please advise me how to navigate this tricky territory with respect and kindness.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
The pattern has left Iranians wary that any sign of instability is met with brutal suppression.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2025
-
Jeff Hardcastle, a former demographer for the state of Nevada, says some state officials who manage their governments' records are wary of how the Trump administration is handling federal data.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Jeff seems to be both the most conscientious and deplorable character.—
Andrew Wallenstein,
Variety,
28 May 2025
-
This will be a huge advantage to my clients that can’t find enough hourly warehouse workers, or workers that are conscientious enough to track quantities in this manner.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
But, as stated above with any Kevin Durant possibilities, pick prudence certainly does have to be part of any Heat transaction machinations going forward.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2025
-
Nonprofit plans, by contrast, often operate under strict reserve requirements, regulatory constraints and cultural norms that prioritize prudence over growth.—
Sachin H. Jain,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Careful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/careful. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share