being careful about what you say or do, especially to avoid danger or mistakes; not taking any risks The government has been cautious in its response to the report. They've taken a very cautious approach. They expressed cautious optimism about a solution to the crisis. cautious about somebody/something cautious about doing something He was very cautious about committing himself to anything. opposite reckless
adverb She looked cautiously around and then walked away from the house. I'm cautiously optimistic.
noun [uncountable] Which Word?cautious / careful
- A cautious person is nervous that something may be dangerous or unwise, so they do it only very slowly or after a lot of thought. (antonym =reckless)
- A careful person is not nervous but does take extra care to make sure that everything is correct or nothing goes wrong. (antonym =careless)
- Be careful/Use caution when you drive on icy roads.
- Caution/Warning — thin ice.
Check pronunciation: cautious