different between cautious vs fastidious

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k????s/

• Rhymes: -????s

Adjective

cautious (comparative more cautious, superlative most cautious)

1. careful; using or exercising caution; tentative

   He took a few cautious steps toward the cave.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:cautious

Antonyms

• careless
• incautious
• neglecting
• uncautious

Derived terms

Translations

English

Etymology

From Latin fast?di?sus (“passive: that feels disgust, disdainful, scornful, fastidious; active: that causes disgust, disgusting, loathsome”), from fast?dium (“a loathing, aversion, disgust, niceness of taste, daintiness, etc.”), perhaps for *fastutidium, from fastus (“disdain, haughtiness, arrogance, disgust”) + taedium (“disgust”). Cf. French fastidieux.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fæ?st?di.?s/, /f??st?di.?s/

Adjective

fastidious (comparative more fastidious, superlative most fastidious)

1. Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details, especially about tidiness and cleanliness.

   Synonyms: exacting, fussy, meticulous, niggly, pernickety; see also Thesaurus:fastidious
2. Overly concerned about tidiness and cleanliness.
3. Difficult to please; quick to find fault.

Derived terms

• fastidiously
• fastidiousness

Translations

See also

• finicky

Further reading

• fastidious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• fastidious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• fastidious at OneLook Dictionary Search