Careful — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Careful (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

   "careful drivers slow down on slick or icy roadways"

   similar: alert, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, wary
   related: advertent, attentive, awake, observant, regardful, vigilant, watchful, hypercautious, foresighted, foresightful, forethoughtful, provident, thoughtful, cagey, calculating, canny, shrewd, deliberate, slow, ultracareful, ultracautious
   opposite: careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unsafe, unwary
   near: bold, brash, impetuous, rash, reckless, venturesome, asleep, inattentive, regardless, inconsiderate, thoughtless, lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss, imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious, absentminded, forgetful, inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned

2. taking, showing, or involving great care and effort

   "that furniture maker was known to be a most careful worker, so his output was small"

   similar: conscientious, fussy, loving, meticulous, painstaking, scrupulous
   related: assiduous, diligent, indefatigable, persevering, sedulous, exhaustive, thorough, thoroughgoing, alert, attentive, observant, vigilant, watchful, accurate, exact, precise, strict, critical, demanding, discriminating, exacting, fastidious, finicky, particular, cautious, chary, circumspect, gingerly, guarded, heedful, mindful, wary, deliberate, plodding, slow, studied, thoughtful, all-out, determined, dogged, intensive, patient, tenacious, tireless, zealous
   opposite: careless
   near: cursory, halfhearted, heedless, inattentive, incautious, mindless, regardless, unguarded, unsafe, unwary, lax, neglectful, negligent, slipshod, sloppy, slovenly, imprecise, inaccurate, uncritical, undemanding, undiscriminating, bold, impetuous, rash, reckless, apathetic, indifferent, lackadaisical, lazy, lazyish