wary

[ wair-ee ]
See synonyms for: warywarilywariness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,war·i·er, war·i·est.
  1. watchful; being on one's guard against danger.

  2. arising from or characterized by caution: to give someone a wary look.

Origin of wary

1
First recorded in 1545–55; ware2 + -y1

synonym study For wary

1. See careful.

Other words for wary

Other words from wary

  • war·i·ly, adverb
  • war·i·ness, noun
  • o·ver·war·y, adjective

Words that may be confused with wary

Words Nearby wary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use wary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wary

wary

/ (ˈwɛərɪ) /


adjectivewarier or wariest
  1. watchful, cautious, or alert

  2. characterized by caution or watchfulness

Origin of wary

1
C16: from ware ² + -y 1

Derived forms of wary

  • warily, adverb
  • wariness, noun

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