Meaning & use
careful
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Paying close attention so as not to cause harm, make mistakes or have an accident.
Grammar: Often followed by with, about or an infinitive: careful with the glass, careful to lock up.
Patterns
- be careful with something
- be careful to do something
- be careful not to do something
Be careful with that vase because it is very old.
She was careful to lock the door when she left.
Drivers need to be extra careful on icy roads.
adjectivebefore a noun
Done with thought and attention to detail.
Grammar: Describes work, planning or thought: careful planning.
Patterns
- careful consideration
- careful planning
The report was the result of careful research.
After careful thought, he declined the offer.
Careful planning saved us a great deal of money.
adjectiveafter a verb
Wary about spending money or taking risks.
Grammar: Used with about or with: careful with money.
Patterns
- careful about something
- careful with money
My aunt is very careful with money and rarely buys anything new.
He is careful about what he posts online.
They are careful investors who avoid risky stocks.
Word forms
| comparative | more careful |
|---|---|
| superlative | most careful |
Common combinations
- careful consideration
- We gave the offer careful consideration.
- careful not to
- She was careful not to wake the baby.
- extremely careful
- Be extremely careful when handling chemicals.
- careful driver
- My father is a careful driver.
- careful with
- Be careful with the hot tea.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cautious
- Cautious stresses avoiding risk or danger, whereas careful can simply mean taking pains over details.
- meticulous
- Meticulous is much stronger and implies extreme attention to small details.
- thorough
- Thorough is about covering everything completely, not about avoiding harm.
- attentive
- Attentive focuses on watching or listening closely, rather than on avoiding mistakes.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: careful or caring? careful or cautious?
careful vs caring
Caring means showing kindness and concern for others, while careful means paying attention to avoid mistakes.
careful vs cautious
Cautious is closer to avoiding risk, and careful is wider.
Practice
You should be careful ____ the knife because it is very sharp.
Choose one answer.
Careful is followed by with when it refers to handling an object. Careful of is rarer and old-fashioned, and at and on do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “careful”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.