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

The mood in Dearborn, Alawieh said, is a complex mix of disbelief and wary curiosity.

From Slate

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

What happens next, not just in the UK, but the rest of the world, depends on whether the advocates of gene editing can convince the open-minded, but wary, such as Mr Stevenson, that they can act safely, ethically and in a way that makes lives better, not worse - for people and animals alike.

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

He is expected to trigger a bidding war between the New York Yankees and Mets that might push his price tag upward of $700 million, a staggering amount that even the deep-pocketed Dodgers, who signed Ohtani to a heavily-deferred deal last winter, might be wary of spending again.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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