Synonyms of cautious

cautious

adjective

ˈkȯ-shəs 

as in careful

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

a cautious approach to everyday living

Synonyms & Similar Words

• careful
• wary
• alert
• circumspect
• considerate
• conservative
• guarded
• chary
• heedful
• safe
• thoughtful
• gingerly
• vigilant
• watchful
• attentive
• observant
• regardful
• awake
• slow
• deliberate
• shrewd
• foresighted
• cagey
• provident
• hypercautious
• calculating
• forethoughtful
• canny
• advertent
• cagy
• foresightful
• ultracautious
• ultracareful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• careless
• reckless
• unsafe
• bold
• impetuous
• unmindful
• heedless
• regardless
• unwary
• rash
• unguarded
• venturesome
• negligent
• thoughtless
• brash
• incautious
• inattentive
• lax
• inconsiderate
• imprudent
• asleep
• neglectful
• remiss
• indiscreet
• injudicious
• forgetful
• inadvertent
• unintentional
• unplanned
• absentminded

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective cautious contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of cautious are chary, circumspect, and wary. While all these words 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

When is it sensible to use chary instead of cautious?

The synonyms chary and cautious are sometimes interchangeable, but chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely.

chary of signing papers without having read them first

When can circumspect be used instead of cautious?

While the synonyms circumspect and cautious are close in meaning, circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding.

circumspect in his business dealings

Where would wary be a reasonable alternative to cautious?

Although the words wary and cautious have much in common, wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it.

keeps a wary eye on the competition

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cautious

The cynic in me is cautious and keenly aware of the often empty allure of nostalgia, while the teen girl who spent her entire summer job money on an Xbox 360 and Halo 3 is vibrating with excitement. —Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025

Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon urged a cautious approach in a research note dated Friday. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025

Nor can it be ruled out that China, while normally cautious, might instead act decisively against Taiwan at a point of crisis for Kyiv, since the West would likely be more distracted. —Lyle Goldstein, Time, 23 Oct. 2025

Drowsiness Anyone who takes a medication that enhances sleep should be cautious when drinking chamomile tea. —Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 23 Oct. 2025