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careful Definition

care·ful (ker′fəl)

adjective

  1. acting or working in a thoughtful, painstaking way
  2. cautious, wary, or guarded a careful reply
  3. accurately or thoroughly done or made; painstaking a careful analysis
  4. Archaic feeling or causing sorrow, worry, etc.; anxious

Etymology: ME & OE: see care & -ful

careful Related Forms

care′·fully adverb care′·ful·ness noun

careful Synonyms

careful

modif.

meticulous, thorough, painstaking, scrupulous, cautious, wary, circumspect, discreet, solicitous, concerned, deliberate, provident, conservative, prudent, particular, rigorous, fussy, finicky, prim, exacting, sober, vigilant, watchful, suspicious, alert, wide-awake, assiduous, overexact, fastidious, hard to please, discriminating, sure-footed, precise, exact, heedful, on one's guard, on guard, on the alert, conscientious, taking measures, politic, attentive, calculating, sparing, regardful, considerate, mindful, canny, guarded, noncommittal, self-possessed, self-disciplined, solid, cool, calm, farsighted, frugal, thrifty, punctilious, religious, stealthy, observant, chary, apprehensive, judicious, leery*, choosy*, picky*, feeling one's way*, feeling one's ground*, seeing how the land lies*, putting the right foot forward*, keeping a nose to the wind*, picking one's steps*, making haste slowly*, going to great lengths*, leaving no margin for error; see also accurate 2, economical 1, thoughtful 2.

Antonyms heedless, careless*, haphazard.

careful implies close attention to or great concern for whatever is one's work or responsibility, and usually connotes thoroughness, a guarding against error or injury, etc.; meticulous implies extreme, sometimes finicky, carefulness about details; scrupulous implies a conscientious adherence to what is considered right, true, accurate, or proper in every detail; circumspect implies a careful consideration of all circumstances to avoid error or unfavorable consequences; cautious implies a careful guarding against possible dangers or risks; prudent implies the exercise of both caution and circumspection, suggesting careful management in economic and practical matters; discreet implies the exercise of discernment and judgment in the guidance of one's speech and action and suggests careful restraint; wary implies a cautiousness that is prompted by suspicion

careful Usage Examples

Preposition: for

nothing: The Lord is our Shepherd and I feel tonight as if after this I could be careful for nothing.

Infinitive complement

  • distinguish: However, even at their 1922 congress the Mensheviks kept the term but were careful to distinguish themselves from Leninism.
  • overdo: Be careful not to overdo it on the keywords.
  • disturb: Cyclists are likely to be the fastest travelers on these routes, and must be careful not to disturb other users.
  • avoid: Most people are careful enough to avoid obvious plagiarism.
  • misdescribe: Be careful not to misdescribe bread and butter by using margarine or low-fat spread.
  • confuse: One should be careful not to confuse the terms ' mobile clinics ' with ' outreach ' .

Modifies a noun

  • consideration: Careful consideration will have to be given to a claim where the vehicle has been left open or unlocked.
  • attention: Both these rooms deserve careful attention to their detail.
  • planning: With careful wedding planning, you can save a small fortune!
  • scrutiny: The winning castle was selected after much careful scrutiny by Mr Walker, Head of Lower school and an expert on medieval castle maudlin.
  • thought: The matter merits careful thought, to avoid wasted time or worse.
  • monitoring: A high standard of careful monitoring will be used for every patient.

Modifying Another Word

  • especially: In dry weather please be especially careful about fire.
  • very: I am always very careful about not imposing myself or my beliefs on someone.
  • extremely: I am extremely careful not to use the word baby.
  • scrupulously: Mr E: I think they are scrupulously careful about it.
  • particularly: Where you need to be particularly careful is with the age-related allowance.
  • exceptionally: You need to be exceptionally careful not to contaminate the scene.

Used with adjective complement

require: Restrictive covenants require very careful drafting and must not do more than is reasonably necessary to protect the employer's business.

Browse dictionary entries near careful

  1. ‹ carefree
  2. ‹ careerist
  3. ‹ career woman
  4. ‹ career
  5. ‹ careen
  6. ‹ care to
  7. ‹ care for
  8. ‹ care about
  9. ‹ care
  10. ‹ Cardus, Sir Neville
  1. carefully ›
  2. caregiver ›
  3. careless ›
  4. carelessly ›
  5. carelessness ›
  6. caress ›
  7. caret ›
  8. caretaker ›
  9. Carew ›
  10. Carew,Thomas ›