- careful
- [[t]ke͟ə(r)fʊl[/t]]
♦♦1) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ, oft ADJ about/with/of n, ADJ to-inf If you are careful, you give serious attention to what you are doing, in order to avoid harm, damage, or mistakes. If you are careful to do something, you make sure that you do it.
Be very careful with this stuff, it can be dangerous if it isn't handled properly...
Careful on those stairs!...
We had to be very careful not to be seen...
Pupils will need careful guidance on their choice of options.
Ant:Derived words:carefully ADV-GRADED ADV with vHave a nice time, dear, and drive carefully...
He had chosen his words carefully in declaring that the murderers were madmen.
2) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n Careful work, thought, or examination is thorough and shows a concern for details.He has decided to prosecute her after careful consideration of all the relevant facts...
What we now know about the disease was learned by careful study of diseased organs.
Syn:Derived words:carefully ADV-GRADED ADV with v...a vast series of deliberate and carefully planned thefts...
He explained very carefully what he was doing.
3) ADJ-GRADED: v-link ADJ about/of -ing If you tell someone to be careful about doing something, you think that what they intend to do is probably wrong, and that they should think seriously before they do it.I think you should be careful about talking of the rebels as heroes...
It is important, I think, for everyone to be careful about claiming victory.
Syn:cautious, circumspectDerived words:carefully ADV ADV after vHe should think carefully about actions like this which play into the hands of his opponents.
4) ADJ-GRADED: usu v-link ADJ with n If you are careful with something such as money or resources, you use or spend only what is necessary.You will have to make a special effort to train your child to be careful with her pocket-money...
It would force industries to be more careful with natural resources.
Syn:5) PHRASE You can say `You can't be too careful' as a way of advising someone to be careful, even when this seems unnecessary. [SPOKEN]You can't be too careful when a young child is near water.
English dictionary. 2008.