2
general::
adj. VERBS be | make sb Bitter past experience had made her careful of what she confided to Nadia. ADV. awfully, doubly, especially, extra, extremely, particularly, really, specially, very Be extra careful when walking along country roads. | a bit, a little, fairly, quite | scrupulously PREP. about She was quite careful about how she spoke to him. | of He's very careful of his reputation. | with She's extremely careful with money.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
careful
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
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.
Longman-Thesaurus
4
general::
Phrase(s): careful (with something)
treating or handling something with caution. • Please be careful with the vase. It’s old and valuable. • That’s too big a load. Be careful!
McGrawhill's American Idioms And Phrasal Verbs