cautiousness
Tendency toward prudence
Cautiousness is the quality of being careful and avoiding unnecessary risk.
It suggests a deliberate, watchful approach—someone exercising cautiousness thinks before acting and considers potential dangers: Her cautiousness saved her from a bad investment.
The word is somewhat formal; caution often serves the same purpose more naturally.
Attentive care for others
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- circumspectionCareful consideration of consequences
- forethoughtPlanning before acting
- premeditationAdvance planning of action
weighing options · risk assessment · due diligence · second-guessing · hedging · playing it safe · belt and braces · contingency planning
Cautious distrust
- guardednessDefensive emotional reserve
- hesitancyUnwillingness to proceed
- reticenceHabitual verbal restraint
- reservednessTendency toward social restraint
conservatism · timidity · tentativeness · overcaution · gun-shy · skittishness · caginess · defensiveness
Active mental awareness
- watchfulnessCareful, sustained attention
- heedfulnessQuality of being alert
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- attentivenessConcentrated awareness of surroundings
awareness · carefulness · observance · keeping watch · staying alert · eyes open · on guard · heads up
Sense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- misgivingUneasy feeling of doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
unease · mistrust · questioning · second thoughts · reservations · qualms · scruples · trepidation
thoughtfulness
Attentive care for others
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- circumspectionCareful consideration of consequences
- forethoughtPlanning before acting
premeditation · weighing options · risk assessment · due diligence · second-guessing · hedging · playing it safe · belt and braces · contingency planning · safeguarding
wariness
Cautious distrust
- guardednessDefensive emotional reserve
- hesitancyUnwillingness to proceed
- reticenceHabitual verbal restraint
reservedness · conservatism · timidity · tentativeness · overcaution · gun-shy · skittishness · caginess · defensiveness · holding back
alertness
Active mental awareness
- watchfulnessCareful, sustained attention
- heedfulnessQuality of being alert
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
attentiveness · awareness · carefulness · observance · keeping watch · staying alert · eyes open · on guard · heads up · situational awareness
suspicion
Sense of unease about motives
- skepticismDisposition toward doubt
- misgivingUneasy feeling of doubt
- doubtLack of firm belief
apprehension · unease · mistrust · questioning · second thoughts · reservations · qualms · scruples · trepidation · cold feet
- warinesswariness, guardedness, vigilance, watchfulness, carefulness
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
- phrenologycraniology, acquisitiveness, adhesiveness, benevolence, combativeness
- personalitypersonality, trait, temperament, traits, character
cautiousnessrecklessness
Careless disregard for danger
carelessness · rashness · heedlessness · thoughtlessness · incaution
cautiousnessboldness
Fearless readiness to act
daring · audacity · brashness · fearlessness · adventurousness
cautiousnessimpetuousness
Rash, unthinking haste
impulsiveness · hastiness · precipitousness · spontaneity · abruptness
caution, cautious, precaution, incautious, cautionary, precautions, precautionary, incautiously, overcautious