careful, adj. 1. cautious, wary, chary, canny, prudent; politic, discreet, judicious, circumspect; aware, alert, awake, observant; mindful, thoughtful, concerned, solicitous, considerate, regardful, heedful, attentive; watchful, vigilant, on guard, guarded; apprehensive, fearful, worried, uneasy; halting, hesitant, Inf. yellow-light.
2. meticulous, punctilious, scrupulous, conscientious; exact, precise, accurate, correct; particular, finical, finicky, picky, fussy, hard to please; critical, exacting, demanding, fastidious; painstaking, minute, detailed, fine, nice, thorough, searching; scientific, mathematical, severe, rigorous, strict, close.
careless, adj. 1. inattentive, inadvertent, unmindful, unthoughtful, unthinking, nonobservant, disregardful; unwise, imprudent, injudicious, indiscreet, uncircumspect; unwary, incautious, off guard, unguarded, unheeding, heedless; reckless, rash, temerarious; inconsiderate, uncaring, tactless, uncivil, rude.
2. negligent, neglectful, remiss, slack, lax, loose; inaccurate, inexact, incorrect; disorderly, sloppy, untidy, Inf. messy, slovenly, slatternly, Sl. raunchy; unorganized, Inf. harum-scarum, hit-or-miss; casual, slapdash, slipshod, offhand.
3. nonchalant, casual, indifferent, perfunctory, blas£, devil-may-care, thoughtless, forgetful, absent-minded; lackadaisical, listless, apathetic; free and easy, untroubled, unconcerned, unworried, happy-go-lucky, insouciant.
4. sprightly, light-hearted, debonair, jaunty, lively, airy, brisk, carefree. See - carefree (defs. 2, 3).
caress, v. 1. touch, brush, graze, lick, tongue; stroke gently, fondle, handle, pat, rub, massage; hold, hug, clasp, embrace, cuddle, snuggle, nestle, nuzzle; kiss, osculate, Inf. make out, Inf. neck, Inf. smooch; Inf. pet, Sl. canoodle, Sl. feel up, Inf. paw; toy with, play with, play footsie, Both Euph. fool around, mess around.
2. coddle, cosset, pamper, pet, baby, treat gently, favor.
-n. 3. touch, brush, graze; stroking, fondling, handling, patting, rub, massage; hug, clasp, embrace, cuddle, nuzzle; kiss, osculation, Inf. smack.
caretaker, n. superintendent, Inf. super, supervisor, overseer, warden, manager, curator, steward; janitor, maintenance man, clean-up man, handyman; custodian, keeper, guardian, conservator, guard, watchman, warder.
careworn, adj. tired, weary, fatigued, haggard, drooping, faint, flagging, fagged, Inf. tuckered; weakened, worn, spent, exhausted, footsore; crushed, beaten, wasted, stricken, enfeebled, overwearied; overworked, heavy-laden, oppressed, toilworn, dispirited, sorry, life-weary, Inf. down and out; sorrowful, forlorn, bowed down.
cargo, n. lading, freight, freightage, haul; load, burden, charge, weight; contents, merchandise, goods, stuff; boatload, shipload, Chiefly U.S. carload, wagonload, truckload.