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

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

For all his concerns about the power of tech companies, Trump signaled he’s wary about breaking up Google.

From Los Angeles Times

Media and entertainment giants might be wary of the situation Walt Disney Co. found itself in after it battled Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the state’s so-called Don’t Say Gay anti-LGBTQ legislation.

From Los Angeles Times

Netanyahu, wary of the collapse of his coalition government which has been dependent on support from the ultra-Orthodox parties, paid no heed.

From BBC

Related Words

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