carefulcare‧ful /ˈkeəfəl $ ˈker-/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 
Be careful – the floor’s slippery.2trying 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.Grammar guide ‒ ADJECTIVES3paying 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 data4careful with money not spending more money than you need to5you can’t be too careful spoken used to say that you should do everything you can to avoid problems or danger—carefulness noun [uncountable]THESAURUScareful trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to details: · Try 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 way: · He 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 important: · There 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 correctly: · She 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 should: · a 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 way: · The 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 OTHER DICTIONARIES
- ""Failing your exams isn't the end of the world,'' said Kay's mother, careful not to sound disappointed.
- A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.
- Dr. Angelo made a careful examination.
- Fry the garlic, being careful not to let it burn.
- Her book is the result of years of careful research.
- I wouldn't say he was mean -- he's just careful.
- Jen's a very careful driver.
- Mona's careful planning made the festival a success.
- Once you've spent your allowance there won't be any more. You must learn to be more careful with money.
- Paints today are getting safer as companies remove harmful chemicals, but you still need to be careful.
- She's a careful, hard-working student.
- She is careful not to criticize the president, but makes it clear that she thinks the government's policies should be far more radical.
- They were careful not to touch anything until the police arrived.
- They were both aware that there might be listening devices in the room, and she wanted to be careful what she said.
- Try to be more careful with your punctuation.
- We had to be careful that we didn't tip the raft over.
- You'll be OK with Jane - she's a very careful driver.
- You have to be careful what you say to her, she's very easily offended.
- Be careful not to accompany your chosen carbohydrate with large quantities of fat.
- Be careful with toxic substances and always follow the directions on the bottles with great care.
- During the election campaign Bush was careful not to say outright that he would bring the boys home from the Balkans.
- He liked to sit on the floor, but was careful not to do so too often.
- I told her we were, and that being careful, the way we were careful, has always worked for me.
- I was always careful about promises and threats.
- When parents become involved in sibling arguments they have to be very careful not make the situation worse rather than better.
THESAURUS
trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to details: · Try to be more careful with your punctuation.· A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.
always doing things in a careful and well-organized way: · He 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.
careful to examine or deal with every part of something, so that you do not miss anything important: · There will be a thorough investigation into the circumstances of her death.· Our mechanics will check everything – they’re very thorough.
very careful about every small detail in order to make sure everything is done correctly: · She keeps meticulous records of the students’ progress.· He was meticulous about keeping the place clean and tidy.
using a fixed plan in a careful and well-organized way in order to do everything that you should: · a systematic review of the scientific evidence· We need a systematic way to evaluate employees.
using a lot of time and effort to do something in a very careful and thorough way: · The book is the result of ten years of painstaking research.· They began the long and painstaking task of translating his work into English.
Longman Language Activatorcareful to avoid risks or danger someone who is careful tries to avoid danger, risks, or accidents: · You'll be OK with Jane - she's a very careful driver.· Paints today are getting safer as companies remove harmful chemicals, but you still need to be careful.careful (that): · We had to be careful that we didn't tip the raft over.
someone who is cautious does not like taking risks and is always very careful to avoid them: · If we're too cautious, we might lose a good business opportunity.· Phil's a very cautious driver - it'll take at least an hour to get there.cautious about: · I've always been cautious about giving people my phone number.
if you do something with care or with caution , you do it carefully in order to avoid accidents: · Some roads may be icy and motorists are advised to drive with caution.handle something with care: · These antiques are fragile and must be handled with care.
someone who is wary does not easily trust people and thinks very carefully before getting involved in any situation that might be dangerous or cause problems: wary of: · She had become extremely wary of relationships as a result of her childhood experiences.· Wary of becoming entangled in her friend's family quarrels, Eileen made an excuse and left.wary about: · The problems with selling the house had made her much more wary about financial matters.keep a wary eye on somebody/something (=watch something or someone carefully): · One of the guards was fiddling with his radio, all the time keeping a wary eye on the five prisoners.
formal always paying attention to what is happening, so that you notice any danger or illegal activity: · Be vigilant on public transport and at tourist sites, as pickpockets operate in these areas.vigilant about: · We have to be vigilant about protecting our right to privacy.remain vigilant: · The terrorist threat is still real, and the public should remain vigilant.ever vigilant (=always vigilant): · We must be ever vigilant. Don't think that Fascism can never rise again. It can.
to try to avoid risks or danger to do something in a sensible way, in order to avoid risks: · Of course you don't have to spend all your time worrying about possible health hazards, but you still need to take care.take care how/when etc: · Take care how you cross the road. Most drivers ignore the traffic lights and just drive through. take care with: · I always take great care with diets, so I don't lose too much weight too quickly.
to make preparations before you do something, in order to avoid the risk of something unpleasant happening: · Tourists should take precautions as they would in any large city, and should avoid traveling alone at night. take precautions against: · The villagers had already taken precautions against random raids by the militia.take the precaution of doing something: · Bennet had taken the precaution of transferring his house into his wife's name before his company collapsed.
to pay careful attention to what is happening and not easily trust people, in order to avoid getting into danger, being tricked etc: · Drivers have to be on their guard, as faults or signal failures can occur at any time.be on your guard against: · " We would like to warn everybody to be on their guard against unsolicited 'tradesmen'," he said.
to watch and listen very carefully when you are in a situation that might be dangerous, or in which people might try to cheat you: · It was only because John kept his wits about him that the boys managed to get home safely.· Buying a second-hand car can be very tricky. You really have to have your wits about you.
to choose a careful way of doing something instead of a way that could have more risks or danger: · My friends keep advising me to invest my money in stocks and shares but I've decided to play safe and leave it in the bank.· The Film Club could have played safe by starting the season with one of the ever-popular Hitchcock movies, but instead they chose to show an avant-garde documentary.
to organize something in a very careful way, because you want to avoid any possible risks: · This time we're taking no chances. Everything will be planned down to the last detail.· Weather forecasters have warned about the possibility of severe storms, and city officials are taking no chances.
what you say when warning someone to be careful spoken: careful!/be careful! · There's ice on the roads tonight so be careful.· Careful! That's hot.be careful with · Hey! Careful with that cigarette!be careful with something · You be careful with that knife. be careful (not) to do something · Be careful not to get any of that bleach on your clothes.be careful(that) you do something · You'll have to be careful you don't lose your balance.be careful what/where/how etc · The whole interview will be recorded so you'd better be careful what you say.
spoken say this to warn someone to be careful, especially when you think they may not realize there are dangers or risks: · Take care. That gun's loaded.· Take care when you open the van door, sometimes it springs open suddenly.take care (not) to do something: · Take care not to leave any money in the changing rooms.
spoken say this to warn someone that they are going to have an accident and they must do something quickly to avoid it: · Watch out - you're going to spill paint over my new carpet!· Look out, Phil - there's a car coming!
spoken say this when someone has just done something dangerous, and you want to tell them to be careful: · Watch it! You nearly knocked my head off with that stick!
British spoken say this when you want someone to move to one side to avoid possible danger: · Mind out -- there's a snowball coming towards you!
careful to do things correctly someone who is careful tries not to make mistakes, and tries to do everything correctly: · She's a careful, hard-working student.careful with: · Try to be more careful with your punctuation.careful (not) to do something: · They were careful not to touch anything until the police arrived.· Fry the garlic, being careful not to let it burn.
formal if you do something with care you do it carefully in order to make sure that you do not make any mistakes: · She has to work slowly and with great care in order to get the picture just right.· Her room is beautifully furnished, with a great deal of care and attention to detail.· Aunt Beryl's presents were well-received, and had obviously been chosen with a lot of care.
someone who is conscientious has a serious attitude to their work or their duties and tries hard to do everything they have been asked to do in the way that it should be done: · She was a very conscientious student and attended all her lectures.· His previous employer describes him as honest, hard-working and conscientious.conscientious about: · I wish everyone was as conscientious as you are about getting to work on time.
someone who is thorough is careful that all the work they do is complete and correct: · Our mechanics will check everything - they're very thorough.
someone who is meticulous pays a lot of attention to every detail in order to make sure that everything is done correctly: · This beautiful piece of jewellery is the work of a meticulous craftsman.· My mother was extremely meticulous and always made sure that every room in the house was spotlessly clean.meticulous about: · Our accountant is very meticulous about his work. I can't imagine him ever making a mistake.
someone who is methodical always does their work in a carefully planned way and is careful to check everything they do: · Poirot, always deliberate and methodical, made a list of all the possible suspects.· Barnes is a conscientious and methodical journalist who would have checked all of the facts before writing the story.
careful work/checks/actions a careful test, study, piece of work etc is done carefully and correctly, with a lot of attention to detail: · A careful inspection showed cracks in the foundation of the building.· Her book is the result of years of careful research.
a thorough search, check, examination etc is one that is done carefully so that no detail is missed : · The doctor gave me a thorough check-up.thorough search/check/examination etc: · The police have made a thorough search of the area.
a systematic way of doing something uses a fixed plan, so that everything gets done thoroughly - use this especially about activities that are dishonest or harmful: · the systematic destruction of the country's education system· Ex-prisoners talked of systematic cruelty within the jail.
: rigorous tests/checks/examination etc checks etc that are done very carefully to make sure that something is safe, suitable etc or of the right quality or standard: · Every new drug has to pass a series of rigorous safety checks before it is put on sale.· The entrance tests for people wishing to enter the diplomatic service are particularly rigorous.
very careful and thorough, and taking a lot of time and effort: · They began the long and painstaking task of compiling a bibliography.
: close look/examination paying very careful attention to details: · Take a close look at this photograph.· On closer examination of the facts it became clear that the boy was innocent.
very carefully making sure that every detail is exactly right, so that it cannot be criticized: · Scrupulous cleanliness is necessary when preparing food in a restaurant.· The investigation was carried out with scrupulous fairness.· Outstanding hospitality and scrupulous attention to detail make The Oceanic one of the finest hotels in the resort.
to try to do something correctly and not make mistakes to do a piece of work carefully because you want it to be right, and you do not want to make mistakes: · Look at all these typing errors! Can't you take more care?take care with: · Sally doesn't take nearly enough care with her accounts.take care to do something: · Take care to label all the disks with the correct file names.
to be careful that a particular thing is done in the right way: · You need to pay more attention to your grammar if you want to get a better grade.· Trainees are taught to pay attention to details and to strive for perfection.
to make a special effort to do something carefully and well: · Take pains to present a smart, efficient appearance, and to show that you are keen to progress in the company.· He had taken great pains to make the setting attractive: green candles stood waiting to be lit and in the centre was a bowl of white miniature roses.
careful about what you say to other people: careful what/how etc · You have to be careful what you say to her, she's very easily offended.· They were both aware that there might be listening devices in the room, and she wanted to be careful what she said.careful (not) to do something · "Failing your exams isn't the end of the world,'' said Kay's mother, careful not to sound disappointed.· She is careful not to criticize the president, but makes it clear that she thinks the government's policies should be far more radical.
careful not to do or say anything that will hurt or embarrass other people: · I wish you'd be more tactful - didn't you realize she was divorced?tactful about: · My parents tried to be tactful about my new boyfriend, but I knew they didn't like him.
if you make a guarded statement, remark etc you are careful not to let other people know much about your thoughts or intentions: · Michael Fallon, MP for Darlington, has given the scheme a guarded welcome.· Their message was expressed in very guarded language.
formal very careful about what you say or do, so that you do not make people feel angry, upset, or embarrassed: · A private detective was sent to make discreet inquiries about Miss Hutton's financial situation.· People might gossip if we arrived together. It would be much more discreet for us to go there separately.
someone who spends money carefully spending money carefully and cleverly so that nothing is wasted and you can manage with the money you have: · Mrs Jones was a very thrifty woman who never wasted anything.· By being thrifty and shopping wisely you can feed an entire family on as little as $100 a week.
spending money only on things that are necessary or cheap because you want your money to last as long as possible: · I wouldn't say he was mean -- he's just careful.careful with money: · Once you've spent your allowance there won't be any more. You must learn to be more careful with money.
spending money carefully and sensibly so that you do not spend more than necessary: · I'm trying to be more economical when I go shopping, and only buying what I really need.· Tim's a very economical person,. He always looks around for the best buys.
spending as little money as possible, even on things that are necessary such as food and drink, especially because you are poor: · He was very frugal, and would often use a tea bag three or four times over.· The monks lead a frugal life, allowing themselves only the bare essentials.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Careful consideration has been given to all applications. careful analysis of the dataCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
Careful consideration has been given to all applications. careful analysis of the data· Students learn to make a close analysis of the texts.
· An engineer gave the computer a thorough check.
· After careful consideration I have decided not to accept your offer.
· Since I had the accident, I’m a much more careful driver.
· After a very careful examination of the evidence, we have ruled against the defendant.
· The architect has now made his detailed inspection of the building.
(=an accurate measurement – used when you are emphasizing the process of measuring)· Careful measurements of the human skull were taken and recorded.
· A lot of useful knowledge is gained by careful observation of the world around you.
· To do the job properly requires careful planning.
· Moving to a new house requires careful preparation.
· These figures need careful scrutiny.
· We conducted a thorough search of the building.
· Adair emphasises the importance of careful selection of team members.
· Children were allowed out only under close supervision.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· This more careful use of language is welcome.· What you need to do is be more careful in your scattershot approach to labeling people as bigots.· Does attention to unconscious wishes and conflicts necessarily produce a more careful gender politics?· One argument is that two legislative houses ensure more careful deliberation on issues and laws.· Let us assume that we have been more careful and not leapt before we looked.· If much of this occurs, re-examine the proposal write-up; it may need a more careful rewriting.· Alan thought men could be more responsible: Men should be more careful.· If anything, he had been more careful of his diet than ever.
· I assure the House that I shall keep this matter under the most careful review.· It is for this reason among others that current literature should deserve your most careful consideration.· In the hope of getting a fair deal, you should press him to undertake the most careful inquiry into the facts.· Our delusions are just as likely to be real as our most careful scientific observations.· No one should embark on it without the most careful consideration.· I have done that after the most careful scrutiny.· Time and the most careful deliberation of the issues raised are available in the House of Lords.· Goose required the most careful carving.
· Prunella and I are so careful.· Now she isn't so careful.· One of the reasons she had survived in business was because she had always been so careful.· This may not be what is required at all and so careful and gentle questioning will be needed.· He is normally so careful crossing the road.· It has to be places that are very flat and you have to be so careful.· He need not have been so careful.· Habibi's confidence was restored, yet never was a horse so careful not to bite the hand that fed it!
· As he expected, he found nothing incriminating, Spencer would be far too careful for that.· He used words handsomely, though he may have been too careful with them, a little too punctilious.· You can never be too careful these days.· But as I started to slow down for the approach, I was too careful.· Pawley and Syder provide a number of examples, among them the following: You can't be too careful.· She was stiff-looking; her smile looked too careful.· Well, I didn't say it was, because you can't be too careful these days with all these burglaries.· Sometimes he considered that he could not be too careful.
· However, this needs very careful planning and management.· Leese and I had done a very careful preflight.· You felt you had to be very careful what you said to him.· I have paid very careful attention, and the federal government is too.· At least she could talk about Terence to her child; she would have to be very careful what she said about Peter.· In such circumstances one would have to be very careful about interpreting the results of Turing tests.· I just have to get my rest, and be very careful with it.· One needs to be very careful about asking if modern science really does commit one to rejecting objective purposes and values.
NOUN· But it does lend itself to careful analysis and preparation which may well pay off during the actual bargaining.· Under careful analysis, however, the imagined alternatives do not stand up as realistic.· It is careful analysis and a clear direction that will bring rewards.· This, it seems to me, is an issue worthy of careful analysis.· Rather, they require a careful analysis of contemporary political struggles over questions of representation, symbolic boundary formation, and identification.· He talked about the civil rights movement, the need for political engagement, careful analysis, honest leadership.· He provides a careful analysis of the relationship between the functional and structural characteristics of different types of discourse.· The key factor in making better decisions is a careful analysis of what an organization believes about itself and its environment.
· With our long tradition of effective management and careful attention to quality we have a bright future as an independent company.· Almost miraculously Herrera recovered after several months of careful attention and rest.· One day it might not be, unless careful attention was kept.· For example, careful attention is given to communication in writing.· What is certain is that land and property development are where the action is today and that merits careful attention.· Instead, in each room, careful attention is paid to how to build a just community.· In Britain similarly parties would have to give careful attention to the locality factor.· Diverse management would happen in the natural course of things without paying excruciatingly careful attention to balance.
· Clearly, the decision to admit a patient to hospital must be taken only after very careful consideration.· It is for this reason among others that current literature should deserve your most careful consideration.· The admission of a tenant already showing signs of dementia requires very careful consideration in the individual case.· After careful consideration of all the evidence and relevant law the Tribunal either upholds or dismisses the appeal.· As the confederation moved toward constitutional government, issues of internal security were found to require careful consideration.· The establishment of a new political system based on law was a highly complex matter and needed careful consideration, he said.· After careful consideration, Jay turned down the offer.
· Both of these premisses warrant careful examination.· By careful examination, Lamb estimated the age of the tree at five hundred years.· Of course we welcome the Woolf report and its careful examination of what happened during the Strangeways riot.· A careful examination of the full context, however, suggests that see may well denote mental inference here as well.· On careful examination it became clear that the cartouche had been engraved.· After a careful examination of the bottles, I sorted one out, and poured the amber fluid into an expensive glass.· The devaluation debate also needs careful examination before Labour or Livingstone set off down another dead end.· In half the specimens studied these lesions were found only after careful examination of numerous sections and staining with an anti-cytokeratin antibody.
· But Acheson took a second careful look and saw a few bright specks attached to the rod.· Just take a careful look the next time you are out shopping; how many people look happy?· They were ambitious for gain and apt to want a careful look at the books.
· Let us consider why careful management may be beneficial.· They did know that despite those high amounts, they could, with careful management, prevent kidney stones.· With careful management and unadventurous policies the Crown could, however, keep afloat.· But with careful management the carp can still be a boon to water authorities.· Neither is viable without the other and both require careful management to ensure that their viability is perpetuated.· This can create a conflict of interest which needs careful management.· In other respects careful management and a firm hand pushed up the royal income.· The company is in the type of industry which is going to need ever more careful management and control.
· Take careful note of the potential size - it is very easy to go wrong with these.· After your first interview, work your way down the list, taking careful notes in your career log after each conversation.· He looked at the soles of the feet, making careful note of what he saw.· The first thing to do is make a careful note of any error messages you get.· He must not only distinguish behaviour from ideology, he must also take careful note of just how they are interrelated.· I made a careful note of this exchange in the slim volume in which I stashed anything that sounded like wisdom.· A careful note should be made against any sub-contractor used by the builder who subsequently proved to be unsatisfactory.· Take careful notes during the session.
· He frequently implies that knowledge is to be had by experience and by careful observation of the world.· After years of horticultural experience and careful observations, I have compiled a short informational guide on your choices in lawn-mowing equipment.· The improved brain made this possible by careful observation of the animals they pursued.· In order to answer such causal questions, careful observation of what goes on is simply not sufficient.· This was probably based on careful observation of the summer solstice.· But careful observation suggests that this is not the case.· The truth of such statements is to be established by careful observation.· New concepts of force and inertia did not come about as a result of careful observation and experiment.
· If work is needed in all of these areas, careful planning will be as important as hard work.· Thus production processes require careful planning and controlling. 2.· This can involve materials already in school, some supplementary materials or the careful planning of a visit or trip.· I would argue that this careful planning of activities is already the current practice of many teachers.· This demands careful planning well ahead of the requirement.· By teatime, Landless was well pleased with his day's work and the careful planning which had gone into it.· This needs careful planning and it makes sense to start saving early.· In the absence of careful planning, it will not occur.
· More complex needs will call for multidisciplinary assessments, careful preparation, and time for patients to consider their future.· There was none of the careful preparation and gradual introduction which usually precedes the adoption of a child beyond infancy.· However, there will be much to be gained by careful preparation of the selling task.· He believes that the secret of successful selling comes from careful preparation and hard work.· Creating the climate in which such tough talking can occur is a highly skilled task and takes careful preparation.
· Each process had to undergo careful scrutiny by the Environmental Health Department, and the cooks had to pass medical tests.· Incidentally, that experiment is now also under careful scrutiny in Professor Krauss's laboratory.· I have done that after the most careful scrutiny.· Such figures as we have need careful scrutiny, because they rarely take account of those who came back.· Efforts to stain paper artificially to give an appearance of age have little hope of withstanding careful scrutiny.· Since these behavioural data are so crucial to interpreting the physiological findings they will repay careful scrutiny.
· They joined the six-day residential course after a careful selection process.· While real estate seems still to be undervalued compared to stocks and bonds, this is a year for careful selection.· A tendency towards rather flighty behaviour in the breed is being overcome by careful selection.· The careful selection of the most logical buyers in order to reduce circulation size can therefore be a wasted effort.· Such intimacy requires careful selection of a detail that is representative of the whole.· With careful selection you can recreate your own wildlife haven.· The answer to this lies in careful selection of paper.· Students may, by careful selection, build a course of informed specialization or one of reflective overview.
· The foundation of the Camden Society in 1839 had promoted much more careful study of medieval architecture.· It is vital to his sense of responsible obsession that everything in his room warrants careful study.· Its modes of privilege, in actual institutions and practices, need especially careful study.· Table 4-7 provides a checklist of the determinants of supply: the accompanying illustrations deserve careful study.· But careful studies in the 1960S revealed that none of these explanations will do.· But, as careful studies demonstrate, entrepreneurs do not seek risks, they seek opportunities.· Breach of discipline Any written disciplinary rules that affect you deserve careful study.· If the existence of an attention deficit is confirmed through careful study, appropriate help must be provided for the child.
· We do need order, concern, mutual consideration and careful thought, but not as devices to suppress the darker forces.· To design something usually implies careful thought, preparation, organization, and coherence.· You need to give careful thought to any such stipulation before accepting it.· Meanwhile, since the beginning of 1941, Navy planners had been giving careful thought to a revamping of fleet strategy.· And each work area needs careful thought to ensure that all necessary equipment and ingredients are conveniently to hand.· I also admired and learned from the careful thought that this organization had put into their program.· This can often give rise to dispute and requires careful thought.· Busacher, after careful thought, had decided he would conduct the orchestra himself this evening.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- Be careful - there's broken glass on the sidewalk.
- Napier hopes voters will remember that he's been careful with taxpayers' money.
- And in those early days he was careful with money.
- You can't be too careful where computer viruses are concerned.
WORD FAMILYnouncarecareradjectivecareful ≠ carelesscaring ≠ uncaringverbcareadverbcarefully ≠ carelessly
1(be) careful! spoken used to tell someone to think about what they are doing so that something bad does not happen: Be careful – the floor’s slippery.2trying 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.Grammar guide ‒ ADJECTIVES3paying 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 data4careful with money not spending more money than you need to5you can’t be too careful spoken used to say that you should do everything you can to avoid problems or danger—carefulness noun [uncountable]THESAURUScareful trying to avoid mistakes and do everything correctly by paying a lot of attention to details: · Try 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 way: · He 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 important: · There 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 correctly: · She 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 should: · a 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 way: · The book is the result of ten years of painstaking research.· They began the long and painstaking task of translating his work into English.