wary

[ wair-ee ]

adjective

, war·i·er, war·i·est.

1. watchful; being on one's guard against danger.

   Synonyms: prudent, circumspect, guarded, vigilant, alert

2. arising from or characterized by caution:

   to give someone a wary look.

wary

/ ˈwɛərɪ /

adjective

1. watchful, cautious, or alert
2. characterized by caution or watchfulness

Derived Forms

• ˈwarily, adverb
• ˈwariness, noun

Other Words From

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wary¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wary¹

C16: from ware ² + -y ¹

Synonym Study

See careful.

Example Sentences

She sat on the video for a week, wary of the risk in posting it.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of Trump’s cabinet choices – announced since his election victory – will no doubt make people even more wary.

From BBC

California lawmakers have been trying to mitigate technology’s potential risks but also face backlash from powerful tech executives wary of efforts they see as possibly restricting users’ online speech.

From Los Angeles Times

It took decades to get this fund established because developed nations were wary of framing the payments as reparations and accepting liability for climate change on these terms.

From BBC

Experts are wary that federal immigration authorities do not have proper staffing to track down migrants, or the capacity to hold them until a court date.

From BBC

Related Words

• attentive
• circumspect
• considerate
• distrustful
• frugal
• leery
• prudent
• suspicious
• vigilant
• watchful