cautious

[kaw-shuhs] / ˈkɔ ʃəs /

ADJECTIVE

careful, guarded

Synonyms

STRONGEST

circumspect discreet judicious leery prudent tentative vigilant wary watchful

STRONG

alert safe

WEAK

all ears cagey calculating chary considerate forethoughtful gingerly hedging one's bets heedful keeping on one's toes on the lookout playing it cool playing safe politic provident pussyfoot shrewd taking it easy taking it slow thinking twice walking on eggs watching one's step watching out with one's eyes peeled

Antonyms

STRONGEST

careless certain foolish inattentive incautious indiscreet negligent rash reckless sure thoughtless uncareful unwise

WEAK

hasty heedless imprudent unguarded unobservant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This year, the influential retail cohort is taking a much more cautious approach as the war in Iran upends markets around the world.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

Departing BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong is likely to maintain a cautious stance rather than offer clear guidance at his final rate-setting meeting on April 10, said Morgan Stanley economist Kathleen Oh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

One area she is particularly cautious about is debt issued by tech giants like Alphabet, Amazon.com, and Oracle to build data centers.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The price of Bitcoin, XRP, and other cryptocurrencies jumped Wednesday but the rebound was less enthusiastic than that of other risk assets as investors remained cautious over digital assets’ role in the Iran war.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Instincts tell her to be cautious of them.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

cautious

Example Sentences

Related Words