careful

adjective
UK: /ˈkeərfəl/
US: /ˈkerfəl/

  1. Giving attention to what you are doing so you do not have an accident or make a mistake.

    1. Be careful, the floor is wet. [ ] [ ]
    2. She is a careful driver, always paying attention to the road conditions to avoid accidents. [ ] [ ]

  2. Taking care to avoid risks or danger.

    1. Be careful with that knife. [ ] [ ]
    2. The hiker was careful to avoid the steep cliffs and stayed on the marked trails. [ ] [ ]

  3. Done with thought and precision; thorough.

    1. He made a careful plan. [ ] [ ]
    2. The detective made a careful examination of the evidence found at the scene. [ ] [ ]

  4. Trying not to spend too much money.

    1. She is very careful with money. [ ] [ ]
    2. Being careful with their finances allowed them to save for a down payment on a house. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

prudent attentive cautious vigilant thorough
careful adverb

  1. In a careful way, paying attention to detail and avoiding mistakes.

    1. Drive carefully! [ ] [ ]
    2. She carefully placed the delicate vase on the shelf to prevent it from falling. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "careful" in English means: Giving attention to what you are doing so you do not have an accident or make a mistake., Taking care to avoid risks or danger., Done with thought and precision; thorough., Trying not to spend too much money..

The phonetic transcription of "careful" is /ˈkeərfəl/ in British English and /ˈkerfəl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "careful": prudent, attentive, cautious, vigilant, thorough.

Example usage of "careful": "Be careful, the floor is wet.". More examples on the page.