Meaning of careful in English

careful

adjective

/ˈker.fəl/ uk

/ˈkeə.fəl/

giving a lot of attention to what you are doing so that you do not have an accident, make a mistake, or damage something:

Michael is a very careful worker.

After careful consideration of your proposal, I regret to say that we are unable to accept it.

be careful Be careful with the glasses.

Be careful where you put that hot pan.

Be careful to look both ways when you cross the road.

He's in a really bad mood so be careful of what you say to him.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

avoiding risk

carefulBe careful! I don't want you to fall!
cautiousShe's a very cautious driver.
play it safeI think I'll play it safe and take the earlier train.
risk-averseRisk-averse investors will want to stay away from the company's initial public offering.
charyI'm a bit chary of accidentally offending our hosts.
better safe than sorryIt's probably nothing more than a headache, but we'll order a round of tests - better safe than sorry.

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Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

paying close attention to detail

carefulAfter careful consideration, we are unable to accept your proposal.
thoroughHe seems like he's not paying attention, but don't be fooled - he's very thorough.
meticulousThis book is the result of years of meticulous research.
methodicalI appreciated his methodical approach to the work.

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More examplesFewer examples

The trail's very steep, so be careful you don't fall.
Be careful with that vase - it's very fragile.
You'll cut yourself on that knife if you're not careful.
Events like these take months of careful planning.
The burglars were careful not to leave any tracks behind them.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Cautious and vigilant

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(Definition of careful from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

careful | Intermediate English

careful

adjective

/ˈkeər·fəl/

Add to word list Add to word list

giving attention to something in order to avoid esp. an accident or problem:

Norman is a careful driver.

Give my suggestion careful consideration.

[ + question word ] He’s in a really bad mood so be careful what you say to him.

[ + question word ] Be careful where you put that hot pan.

[ + to infinitive ] Be careful to look both ways when you cross the street.

(Definition of careful from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of careful

careful

This illustration of a lung uses some careful color-coding, for instance.

From WIRED

Cluster munitions are exposed through careful digging and then blown up where they are.

From Los Angeles Times

I got it each time and was careful to thank her profusely for her flexibility.

From Fast Company

The start of the space age hinged on uninhibited innovation, collaboration, leadership, and careful planning.

From Fast Company

We will be very careful and patient to get to the full truth here.

From ABC News

Just be careful to park in a legal spot.

From NOLA.com

Just be careful you don't come over as a cad.

From Huffington Post

Be careful, and sometimes being careful is not enough!

From Plain Dealer

We will all have to be more resourceful and careful with what we have.

From International Business Times

He was careful not to introduce himself immediately as a chaplain.

From Huffington Post

But people of all opinions feared that the president was trying to destroy the careful system of checks and balances in the federal government.

From Voice of America

As those careful qualifications suggest, even that phrase was not 100 percent new to the language.

From Slate Magazine

And make sure to pay careful attention to a communal toothbrush holder.

From Huffington Post

They were more open with information, they were more careful to get different perspectives out there.

From NPR

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of careful?