a. Forms: 1 carfull, cearful, 3, 5 karefull, 4–5 carful, 6 Sc. cairfull, 3– careful. [OE. carful, cearful, f. caru care + -FUL.]
† 1. Full of grief; mournful, sorrowful; also (of cries, etc.), expressing sorrow. Obs.
a. 1000. Soul’s Address, 15. Cleopaþ þonne swa cearful … se gæst to ðam duste.
c. 1205. Lay., 16761. Duden of claðes karefulle cnihtes.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 441. Þey crieden alle o cry a carefull note.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur (1816), I. 161. A careful widow wringing her hands and making great sorrow.
c. 1505. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 418. My clokis thai ar caerfull in colour of sabill.
1592. Daniel, Compl. Rosamond. Her Tears upon her Cheeks (poor careful Girl!).
1599. Parismus, II. (1661), 26. To … ease her careful heart.
2. Full of care, trouble, anxiety or concern; anxious, troubled, solicitous, concerned, arch.
a. 1000. Guthlac, 549 (Gr.). Cwædon cearfulle Criste laðe to Guðlace.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23116. Þaa care-ful eth sal be to kene.
c. 1400. Rowland & Ot., 1066. He crakkede full many a carefull croun.
1535. Coverdale, Tobias v. 12. That I make the not carefull, I am Azarias.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Matt. vi. 34. Be not careful therefore for the morrovy.
1606. Marston, Fawne, III. Wks. (1856), 63. Necessarie as sleepe To carefull man.
1714. Steele, Arriv. Ulysses. The King arose, and beat his careful Breast.
1814. Byron, Lara, I. xx. It is a sight the careful brow might smooth.
3. Full of care or concern for, attentive to the interests of, taking good care of.
a. 1000. Lambeth Ps. xxxix. 18 (Bosw.). Drihten carful oððe ymhydiʓ is mines.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Macc. xv. 19. They that were in the cite, were most carefull for those which were to fight.
1553. Bale, Vocacyon, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), I. 357. A woman … which was to me a carefull creature.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., I. i. 79. My wife more carefull for the latter-borne. Ibid. (1594), Rich. III., II. ii. 96. Bethinke you like a carefull Mother Of the young Prince your sonne.
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 13. Then careful Heav’n supply’d two sorts of men.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, VIII. 47. She … stretch’d forth her careful hands To ease the burthen.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., I. vi. 73. Be careful of the horses, Sam;… don’t ride them too fast.
4. Applying care, solicitous attention, or pains to what one has to do; heedful, painstaking, attentive to one’s work; circumspect, watchful, cautious.
c. 1050. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 172. Curiosus, carful.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut. xxii. 129. That they should be the earnester and carefuller in teaching their children.
1588. Shaks., Titus A., IV. iii. 21. Goe get you gone, and pray be carefull all, And leaue you not a man of warre vnsearcht.
1640. Bp. Hall, Episc., I. vii. 29. The carefullest Ambassador may perhaps swerve from his message.
1845. Graves, in Encycl. Metrop. (1847), II. 752/1. Dionysius of Halicarnassus, a careful and learned antiquary.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 22. 155. I felt just sufficient fear to render me careful.
1878. Morley, Crit. Misc., Ser. I. Carlyle, 192. None the less careful, minute, patient, systematic, in examining a policy.
b. Const. to do a thing, that a thing be done, or with relative clause.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 144. The master would be more carefull what he did teach.
1622. Sparrow, Bk. Com. Prayer (1661), 40. Careful to maintain the ancient usage.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 48. Be very careful that the Spindle stand exactly Perpendicular.
1771. Junius Lett., xlviii. 252. He was careful not to assume any of those powers.
1820. Hoyle’s Games Impr., 430–1. Be careful that they are neither thrown about nor changed.
1836. Macgillivray, trans. Humboldt’s Trav., 290. Both males and females are careful to ornament their persons with paint.
† 5. Applying care to avoid; on one’s guard against, cautious, wary. Obs.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 446. Not disdainefull to conferre, but careful to offende.
1666. Spurstowe, Spir. Chym. (1668), 217. Be more careful of doing anything to lose your Peace.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 118, ¶ 2. Orestilla is … particularly careful of new Acquaintance.
1728. R. Morris, Ess. Anc. Archit., 91. Ever careful of acting so indiscreetly.
† 6. Causing trouble or fear, dreadful. Obs.
c. 1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 158. Careful cocodrillus … þe king lette.
c. 1505. Dunbar, Gold. Targe, 243. So carefull was the crak.
1552. Lyndesay, Monarche, 5747. Herode … With mony vther cairfull Kyng.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Dec., 133. The carefull cold hath nypt my rugged rynde.
7. a. Of things: Fraught or attended with sorrow, trouble or anxiety. Obs. or arch.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 171. On þe careful dai þan he cumeð al middeneard to demen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3632. Ar þat he deied in car-ful bedd.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, II. xliv. (1859), 50. Alas! the careful tyme that euer we were conceyued.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 633. He casteth him … into a careful and miserable exile.
1634. Ford, Perkin Warbeck, III. ii. Paths which lead … to a careful throne.
1814. Southey, Roderick, XV. He upon his careful couch.
b. Showing care, done or performed with care.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxii. 198. By wise … interpretation, and carefull ratiocination.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1766), III. 245. After a careful survey of this place.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 59, note. A careful examination of the specimen.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 616. Careful watch was kept all night.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, I. 32. His drawing was careful.
