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

Fire officials warn the public to be cautious and clean up debris around homes as the warmer months bring out more rattlesnakes. —Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 26 June 2025

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell maintained a cautious stance on inflation and tariffs during his second day of Capitol Hill testimony, indicating rate cuts could be considered if the effects prove temporary. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 25 June 2025

President Donald Trump said the operation had obliterated the country's nuclear program, although analysts have been more cautious pending a final battle damage assessment. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

But Babin says traders have learned to be cautious, based on what happened with oil prices after Hamas attacked Israel, or when Israel attacked Iran last year, or at other times when tensions have mounted. —Camila Domonoske, NPR, 25 June 2025