Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

cautious

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of cautious

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble
  • a cautious approach to everyday living
Synonyms of cautious

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

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 cautious

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 cautious

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

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about cautious

  1. See words that rhyme with cautious Dictionary: Definition of cautious Spanish Central: Translation of cautious Nglish: Translation of cautious for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cautious for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cautious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

purview

Listen to the pronounciation of purview

the range of authority or knowledge

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. catamount Vermont enters the Round of 64

  2. mendacious, mendacity George Conway calls Trump a liar

  3. crawdad New novel makes waves

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games