overcaution
Too much prudence
Overcaution is excessive carefulness—caution taken beyond what circumstances warrant.
The word implies that prudence has become counterproductive: His overcaution cost us the deal.
Where caution protects, overcaution paralyzes.
Careful, wise judgment
- cautiousnessCareful, watchful disposition
- circumspectionCareful consideration of consequences
- moderationAvoidance of excess
- reserveSupply kept back
traditionalism · orthodoxy · predictability · propriety · belt-and-suspenders · overplanning · redundancy · hedging
Troubled mental state
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
tension · edginess · fretfulness · disquiet · misgiving · foreboding · angst · concern
Failure to decide
- procrastinationHabitual task avoidance
- stagnationAbsence of flow or progress
- immobilityLack of motion
- inertiaResistance to altered motion
gridlock · standstill · impasse · dithering · vacillation · inaction · foot-dragging · overthinking
Delay from uncertainty
- restraintControl over impulses
- reservationAdvance arrangement to hold
- timidityFearful lack of courage
- tentativenessState of being uncertain
self-censorship · reticence · guardedness · overprotectiveness · stifling · suppression · constraint · avoidance
prudence
Careful, wise judgment
- cautiousnessCareful, watchful disposition
- circumspectionCareful consideration of consequences
- moderationAvoidance of excess
reserve · traditionalism · orthodoxy · predictability · propriety · belt-and-suspenders · overplanning · redundancy · hedging · safeguarding
worry
Troubled mental state
- apprehensionNervous anticipation of trouble
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- uneaseMild persistent worry
dread · tension · edginess · fretfulness · disquiet · misgiving · foreboding · angst · concern · overthinking
indecision
Failure to decide
- procrastinationHabitual task avoidance
- stagnationAbsence of flow or progress
- immobilityLack of motion
inertia · gridlock · standstill · impasse · dithering · vacillation · inaction · foot-dragging · overthinking · freezing
hesitation
Delay from uncertainty
- restraintControl over impulses
- reservationAdvance arrangement to hold
- timidityFearful lack of courage
tentativeness · self-censorship · reticence · guardedness · overprotectiveness · stifling · suppression · constraint · avoidance · withdrawal
- timiditybashfulness, shyness, timidness, timorousness, meekness
- excessexcess, too much, excessive, excessiveness, overabundance
- warinesswariness, guardedness, vigilance, watchfulness, carefulness
- mismanagementmishandling, dysfunction, misuse, incompetence, inefficiency
overcautionrecklessness
Careless disregard for danger
reckless abandon · foolhardiness · rashness · carelessness · heedlessness
overcautionincaution
Absence of careful forethought
impulsiveness · impetuosity · hastiness · throwing caution to the wind · imprudence