From Middle English careful, from Old English carful; equivalent to care + -ful.

• (British) IPA: /ˈkɛːfəl/
• (America) IPA: /ˈkɛ(ə)ɹfəl/

careful

1. Taking care; attentive to potential danger, error or harm; cautious.

   He was a slow and careful driver.

   Be very careful while trekking through the jungle.

2. Conscientious and painstaking; meticulous.

   They made a careful search of the crime scene.

3. (obsolete) Full of care or grief; sorrowful, sad.
4. (obsolete) Full of cares or anxiety; worried, troubled.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC ↗:

     Where through long watch, and late daies weary toile, / She soundly slept, and carefull thoughts did quite assoile.

• See also Thesaurus:cautious
• See also Thesaurus:meticulous

• careless

• French: prudent
• German: vorsichtig, behutsam
• Italian: prudente, cauto, to be careful
• Portuguese: cauteloso, cuidadoso, prudente, tomar cuidado (to be careful)
• Russian: осторо́жный
• Spanish: cauto, cuidadoso, tener cuidado (to be careful)

• French: soigneux, attentif
• German: sorgfältig
• Italian: accurato, attento
• Portuguese: cuidadoso, meticuloso
• Russian: тща́тельный
• Spanish: cuidadoso, concienzudo, minucioso