Word family noun care carer adjective careful ≠ careless caring ≠ uncaring verb care adverb carefully ≠ carelessly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_710_zcarefulcare‧ful /ˈkeəfəl $ ˈker-/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 1 → (be) careful!2 CAREFULtrying very hard to avoid doing anything wrong or to avoid damaging or losing something OPP careless a careful drivercareful to do something Be careful to dispose of your litter properly.careful with He was being very careful with the coffee so as not to spill it.careful who/what/how etc I’ll be more careful what I say in the future.careful about Mara was careful about what she ate.careful (that) We were very careful that he didn’t find out.GRAMMAR: Prepositions with careful• You are careful with something: You must be careful with the knife.• You are careful about what you do: I was careful about how I spoke to him.3 CAREFULpaying a lot of attention to details, so that something is done correctly and thoroughly Any school trip requires careful planning.careful consideration/attention/thought Careful consideration has been given to all applications.careful analysis/examination/study etc careful analysis of the data4 → careful with money5 → you can’t be too careful —carefulness noun [uncountable]THESAURUScareful trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to detailsTry to be more careful with your punctuation.A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.methodical always doing things in a careful and well-organized wayHe is very methodical in his work and likes to plan everything in advance.This time the researchers used a more methodical approach to the problem.thorough /ˈθʌrə $ ˈθʌroʊ, ˈθʌrə/ careful to examine or deal with every part of something, so that you do not miss anything importantThere will be a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death.Our mechanics will check everything – they’re very thorough.meticulous very careful about every small detail in order to make sure everything is done correctlyShe keeps meticulous records of the students’ progress.He was meticulous about keeping the place clean and tidy.systematic using a fixed plan in a careful and well-organized way in order to do everything that you shoulda systematic review of the scientific evidence We need a systematic way to evaluate employees.painstaking using a lot of time and effort to do something in a very careful and thorough wayThe book is the result of ten years of painstaking research.They began the long and painstaking task of translating his work into English. Examples from the Corpus
careful• Paints today are getting safer as companies remove harmful chemicals, but you still need to be careful.• I wouldn't say he was mean -- he's just careful.• I was always careful about promises and threats.• You'll be OK with Jane - she's a very careful driver.• Jen's a very careful driver.• Dr. Angelo made a careful examination.• She's a careful, hard-working student.• A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.• When parents become involved in sibling arguments they have to be very careful not make the situation worse rather than better.• Be careful not to accompany your chosen carbohydrate with large quantities of fat.• She is careful not to criticize the president, but makes it clear that she thinks the government's policies should be far more radical.• He liked to sit on the floor, but was careful not to do so too often.• Fry the garlic, being careful not to let it burn.• During the election campaign Bush was careful not to say outright that he would bring the boys home from the Balkans.• ""Failing your exams isn't the end of the world, '' said Kay's mother, careful not to sound disappointed.• They were careful not to touch anything until the police arrived.• Mona's careful planning made the festival a success.• Her book is the result of years of careful research.• We had to be careful that we didn't tip the raft over.• I told her we were, and that being careful, the way we were careful, has always worked for me.• They were both aware that there might be listening devices in the room, and she wanted to be careful what she said.• You have to be careful what you say to her, she's very easily offended.• Once you've spent your allowance there won't be any more. You must learn to be more careful with money.• Be careful with toxic substances and always follow the directions on the bottles with great care.• Try to be more careful with your punctuation.careful (that)• Be careful about parting with money in advance or paying excessive deposits.• The careful attention of the kind of folks who read Hustler?• The Doctor hopped nimbly forward, careful not to disturb the fragile balance of what remained of the structure.• I ran an experimental finger down between the stacks, being careful not to disturb the order.• Be careful of getting caught in the trap of total involvement with your computer.• Compliance and response to a gluten free diet were assessed at each visit by careful questioning.• This makes the usual noises about the careful research which goes into making television advertisements, not to mention the advice-seeking.• Meanwhile, since the beginning of 1941, Navy planners had been giving careful thought to a revamping of fleet strategy.careful analysis/examination/study etc• Breach of discipline Any written disciplinary rules that affect you deserve careful study.• This, it seems to me, is an issue worthy of careful analysis.• But, as careful studies demonstrate, entrepreneurs do not seek risks, they seek opportunities.• Under careful analysis, however, the imagined alternatives do not stand up as realistic.• But careful studies in the 1960S revealed that none of these explanations will do.• On careful examination it became clear that the cartouche had been engraved.• A careful examination of the full context, however, suggests that see may well denote mental inference here as well.• Success requires careful analysis of the various kinds of knowledge needed to make an innovation possible. 