adjective · neutral
cautious
UK/ˈkɔːʃəs/US/ˈkɑːʃəs/CAU·tious
Band 5-6task2speaking
careful to avoid danger or risk; wary
Examples
“Be cautious when using sharp tools.”
“Officials were cautious about releasing the data until it was verified.”
“Investors tend to be cautious during economic uncertainty.”
Band 8 sentence
“Given the limited evidence, policymakers adopted a cautious approach to avoid unintended consequences.”
Collocations
- cautious about
- exercise caution
- be cautious when
Word family
cautious adjectivecautiously adverbcautiousness noun
Common mistakes
He was cautious for driving.→He was cautious when driving.
Say it for a higher band
5careful→6wary→7+cautious
Synonyms
careful
wary
Easily confused
careful
“Be careful when handling glassware.”
Related words
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In -ous
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