Synonyms

wary

American

[wair-ee] / ˈwɛər i /

adjective

warier, wariest

watchful; being on one's guard against danger.

Synonyms:

prudent, circumspect, guarded, vigilant, alert
arising from or characterized by caution.

to give someone a wary look.

wary British

/ ˈwɛərɪ /

adjective

watchful, cautious, or alert
characterized by caution or watchfulness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See careful.

Other Word Forms

overwary adjective
warily adverb
wariness noun

Etymology

Origin of wary

First recorded in 1545–55; ware ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Considered the greatest UFC featherweight of all time, Volkanovski entered as a warm favourite, but was wary of the younger opponent standing five inches taller.

From Barron's

The White House is wary about getting drawn into unproductive negotiations.

From The Wall Street Journal

For investors, it’s worth checking whether there might be some value in the wrecks and being wary of those sailing close to the wind.

From Barron's

His friends were wary —“They’ll peck your eyes out!”—but he only smiled and shook his head.

From Literature

They will go to Monaco for the first leg and will be wary of the principality side who beat them there in Ligue 1 in November.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023