/ ˈkɔːʃəs; NAmE / adjective
cautious (about sb/sth) | cautious (about doing sth) being careful about what you say or do, especially to avoid danger or mistakes; not taking any risks :
He was very cautious about committing himself to anything.
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.
► cau·tious·ly adverb :
She looked cautiously around and then walked away from the house.
I'm cautiously optimistic.
► cau·tious·ness noun [ U ]
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WHICH WORD
cautious / careful
A cautious person is nervous that something may be dangerous or unwise, so they only do it very slowly or after a lot of thought. (opposite = rash )
A careful person is not nervous but does take extra care to make sure that everything is correct or nothing goes wrong. (opposite = careless )
Notice also:
Be careful / Take care when you drive on icy roads.
Caution / Warning - thin ice.
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 17th cent.: from caution , on the pattern of pairs such as ambition , ambitious .