cautious
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What does cautious mean? Cautious describes using, showing, or characterized by caution, which means a wariness in a dangerous situation, as in Vikram was a cautious man who never jumped straight into things. Cautious is often used to describe the behavior of a person who is concerned about impending danger or possible misfortune. If you are cautious, you are showing care or hesitation before taking an action.Cautious is also used in warnings, as in You should be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. The adverb form of cautious is cautiously, as in Shontel cautiously approached the rickety bridge. The noun form of cautious is cautiousness, as in They reacted with cautiousness to the suspicious man’s generosity. Example: It is a good idea to be cautious when signing contracts and consider your options first.
Related Words
See careful.
Other Word Forms
- cautiously adverb
- cautiousness noun
- hypercautious adjective
- hypercautiousness noun
- supercautious adjective
- ultracautious adjective
- ultracautiousness noun
- uncautious adjective
- uncautiousness noun
Etymology
Origin of cautious
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.
The embassies of the United States and Britain both urged citizens in Pakistan to be cautious in the country.
From Barron's
Goldie told BBC Scotland News people were being "cautious" but there was still "normality" with roads busy and malls and hotels open.
From BBC
But despite American enthusiasm, major companies remain cautious.
From Barron's
Additionally, you must be more cautious when hiking after a rainstorm.
From Los Angeles Times
Morningstar maintains a cautious view on the company’s profitability and expect depressed vehicle margins to remain, given the competition in the domestic market, he adds.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
