Synonyms for careful
- adjective
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Cautious
cautious, deliberate, mindful, wary, scrupulous, thoughtful, meticulous, vigilant, circumspect, prudent, painstaking, strict, watchful, diligent, thorough, punctilious, attentive, aware, studious, discreet, anxious, considerate
2. Uneasy
Other
thrifty, leary, protective, heedful rare, tender dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious.
He was a slow and careful driver.
- adj. 2
Conscientious and painstaking; meticulous.
They made a careful search of the crime scene.
Related words
- Word family
- carefully carefulness
- Phrases
- be careful
From weakest to strongest
From the opposite of careful, on the left, to its strongest synonyms, on the right.
Example sentences
- deliberate You must be deliberate in selecting a partner.
- cautious Be cautious around the well, accidents can happen.
- wary My parents always told me to be wary of strangers.
- mindful Be mindful of the TV's cords, don't trip over them.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| careful | steady | |
| deliberate | steady | |
| cautious | rising | |
| wary | rising | |
| mindful | rising | |
| leary | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- wary2
- 5 letters
- aware2, leary2
- 6 letters
- strict1, tender2, uneasy3
- 7 letters
- anxious2, mindful2, prudent2, thrifty2, heedful
- 8 letters
- thorough2, troubled2, cautious2, discreet2, vigilant3, diligent3, watchful2, studious3
- 9 letters
- concerned2, attentive3
- 10 letters
- protective3, deliberate4, thoughtful2, meticulous4, scrupulous3, solicitous4
- 11 letters
- considerate4, painstaking3, circumspect3, punctilious4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (wary2 = 2 syllables).