carefuller; carefullest
1
a
: marked by wary caution or prudence
be very careful with knives
b
: marked by attentive concern and solicitude
careful farm management
c
: marked by painstaking effort to avoid errors or omissions
—often used with of or an infinitive
careful of money
careful to adjust the machine
2
: exercising or taking care
careful of a child's welfare
3
Synonyms
Examples of careful in a Sentence
He is a careful driver.
You can never be too careful about these things.
Be careful! The stove is hot!
She was careful of their feelings.
The police were careful to leave the room exactly as they found it.
Police made a careful examination of the scene.
They produced a careful study of the building.
Recent Examples on the Web
After that, Buckley seemed more careful about positioning, doing his best to keep the action in the open while not allowing Covington to close in and work from the clinch.
—
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Behind, kids are hoisted — careful with that hot chocolate!
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
The form was still released about two months behind schedule, but careful testing allowed the agency to find and fix problems sooner.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Be careful as the flex gadgets affect your teammates too, so don't accidentally flash-bang them.
—Rahul Majumdar, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careful 
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Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024
Behind, kids are hoisted — careful with that hot chocolate!
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
The form was still released about two months behind schedule, but careful testing allowed the agency to find and fix problems sooner.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
Be careful as the flex gadgets affect your teammates too, so don't accidentally flash-bang them.
—Rahul Majumdar, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for careful
Dictionary Entries Near careful
Cite this Entry
“Careful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careful. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
careful
adjective
care·ful
ˈke(ə)r-fəl 
ˈka(ə)r-
1
: using care : watchful
a careful driver
2
: made, done, or said with care
a careful examination
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