First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
wary
adjective \ˈwer-ē\
: not having or showing complete trust in someone or something that could be dangerous or cause trouble
war·i·erwar·i·est
Full Definition of WARY
: marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchfulness especially in detecting and escaping danger
— war·i·ly \ˈwer-ə-lē\ adverb
— war·i·ness \ˈwer-ē-nəs\ noun
See wary defined for English-language learners
See wary defined for kids
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Examples of WARY
- Great critics are sometimes wary of great authors. Eliot and Pound usually sidled past Shakespeare. —William Logan, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 2001
- Though sycamore wood was much used, pioneers were wary of the tree's fuzzy leaves, which they believed brought allergies and even consumption. —Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree Book: An Uncommon Field Guide for City and Town, 2000
- Modern literary novelists … wary of neat solutions and happy endings, have tended to invest their mysteries with an aura of ambiguity and to leave them unresolved. —David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992
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Origin of WARY
1ware, from Middle English war, ware, from Old English wær careful, aware, wary; akin to Old High German giwar aware, attentive, Latin vereri to fear, Greek horan to see
Related to WARY
- Synonyms
- alert, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, careful
Synonym Discussion of WARY
cautious, circumspect, wary, chary mean prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk. cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger <a cautious driver>. circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding <circumspect in his business dealings>. wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it <keeps a wary eye on the competition>. chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely <chary of signing papers without having read them first>.
WARINESS Defined for Kids
wary
adjective \ˈwer-ē\
war·i·erwar·i·est
Definition of WARY for Kids
: very cautious <The baker's worries about ogres and bandits I thought exaggerated … However, I was wary of strangers. — Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted>
— war·i·ly \ˈwer-ə-lē-\ adverb
— war·i·ness \ˈwer-ē-nəs\ noun
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