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.

Companies say their customers are resistant to further price increases and are being cautious on how much they order.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

Berlin is more cautious, fearful of upsetting Beijing and the painful consequences that could bring.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

“It’s a big experiment for me, and like all experiments it might not work, and I will be as cautious and ethical as possible with AI,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Treasury yields fell across maturities as investors maintained cautious optimism about a peace deal in the Middle East and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz soon.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026

Encouraged by the man’s tone, Jonathan took another cautious step.

From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi

Vocabulary lists containing cautious

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