English-grammar-lessons.co.uk

menu

Tread Carefully

What Does "Tread Carefully" Mean?

homeidiomsTread Carefully
"Tread carefully" is an English idiom. It means "to proceed with caution and be mindful of potential risks or consequences in a particular situation."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "tread carefully" used in a sentence:
  • In negotiations, it's essential to tread carefully to avoid making concessions that may harm your position.
  • When discussing sensitive topics, it's best to tread carefully to maintain healthy relationships with others.
  • The political climate is tense, so politicians need to tread carefully in their public statements and actions.
meaning for tread carefully

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Tread Carefully" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

A Quick Test

You now know what "tread carefully" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
gold cup
Gold

gold cup
Silver

gold cup
Bronze

  • This test has questions.
  • A correct answer is worth 5 points.
  • You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
  • Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
  • Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
  • 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System

Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons
  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.
Do you know your English idioms? idioms test

Take Our Test.

search icon

Search our idioms database. (We have 10,000+ idioms!)