careful
Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious.
Word facts
Definition of Careful
Conscientious and painstaking; meticulous.
Example sentences
He was a slow and careful driver.
They made a careful search of the crime scene.
Using Careful well
A closer look at how careful is used — meaning in plain English, how close synonyms differ, and examples at different levels.
Taking pains to avoid mistakes, harm, or risk by paying close attention.
Use 'careful' when someone acts with caution and attention to detail, whether handling something fragile, making a decision, or doing precise work. It suits both warnings ('be careful') and praise for thorough, diligent effort.
Safety warnings, instructions, and praise for thorough work ('a careful reader', 'careful analysis', 'be careful with that').
Don't confuse 'careful' (attentive, cautious) with 'carefree' (relaxed and without worries); they are near-opposites despite the shared root.
- cautious
- leans toward avoiding risk and holding back, less about precision
- meticulous
- stronger — extremely careful about tiny details, almost fussy
- thorough
- stresses completeness, leaving nothing out, rather than avoiding danger
- prudent
- formal — careful and sensible in planning ahead, especially decisions
- wary
- careful because of suspicion or distrust, watchful for trouble
- careless
- direct opposite — not paying enough attention, making avoidable errors
- reckless
- stronger — dangerously ignoring risk
- negligent
- formal — careless in a way that breaches a duty, often with consequences
- Beginner Be careful when you cross the busy street.
- In writing A careful edit caught three errors that the spell-checker had missed entirely.
- Advanced His prose is careful to the point of caution, weighing each claim so scrupulously that it rarely dares to surprise.
'Careful' literally means 'full of care' — you take care so nothing goes wrong.
Synonyms for Careful
Related words
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Words that rhyme with Careful
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FAQ
Questions people ask
What does careful mean?
Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious. It is an adjective.
How many syllables does careful have?
Careful has 2 syllables: kehr·fuhl. The word is broken into 2 spoken beats.
What part of speech is careful?
Careful is used as an adjective. As an adjective, it describes or modifies a noun.
What are synonyms for careful?
Words with similar meanings to careful include deliberate, close, conscientious, scrupulous. The best synonym depends on the exact context you are writing or reading in.
How do you use careful in a sentence?
Example: "He was a slow and careful driver."