Overcarefully

Adverb describing an action performed with excessive attention to detail, precision, or caution. It implies a level of meticulousness that goes beyond what is necessary or beneficial, often leading to inefficiency, delay, or a sense of constraint. It suggests a potential loss of spontaneity or naturalness in favor of avoiding any perceived risk of error. The action can be a symptom of anxiety or a desire for perfection, which sometimes causes negative implications. It can also express a lack of trust in someone else's ability to complete a task. Ultimately, the core meaning revolves around excessive caution or precision.

Overcarefully meaning with examples

• She arranged the books on the shelf overcarefully, measuring the distances between them with a ruler, fearing a single misplaced volume could ruin the aesthetic. This meticulous approach took far longer than necessary, highlighting her obsessive-compulsive tendencies. This showed how her concern for precision sometimes slowed her down.
• The chef chopped the vegetables overcarefully, ensuring each dice was precisely the same size, despite the dish being a rustic stew. This extreme care for the uniformity of the food was a reflection of his anxiety for his restaurant. The other chefs were not pleased with this slow approach to preparing the food.
• He translated the document overcarefully, meticulously checking every single word against the original source, causing him to ignore the more significant flow of the material. This demonstrates a fear of errors in the translation process. The client became impatient with the amount of time it took to deliver the project.
• The accountant reviewed the expense reports overcarefully, cross-referencing every transaction with receipts, even for insignificant amounts, making the audit process frustratingly long. This lack of faith in others showed in his extreme attention to detail. His colleagues voiced concerns about the slow pace of work.
• The artist applied the paint overcarefully, layering thin coats to the canvas with obsessive dedication, afraid of a single imperfection. This made the art seem a bit rigid and controlled. The audience, used to free art, had mixed views about this approach.