WARY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'wary' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wary are cautious , chary , and circumspect . While all these words mean "prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk," wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it. // keeps a wary eye on the competition

Q: When would 'cautious' be a good substitute for 'wary'?

The meanings of cautious and wary largely overlap; however, cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger. // a cautious driver

Q: When might 'chary' be a better fit than 'wary'?

While in some cases nearly identical to wary , chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely. // chary of signing papers without having read them first

Q: In what contexts can 'circumspect' take the place of 'wary'?

In some situations, the words circumspect and wary are roughly equivalent. However, circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding. // circumspect in his business dealings

wary

adjective

ˈwer-ē

Definition of wary next

as in cautious

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble kept a wary eye out for signs of the enemy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective wary contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wary are cautious, chary, and circumspect. While all these words mean "prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk," wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it.

keeps a wary eye on the competition

When would cautious be a good substitute for wary?

The meanings of cautious and wary largely overlap; however, cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger.

a cautious driver

When might chary be a better fit than wary?

While in some cases nearly identical to wary, chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely.

chary of signing papers without having read them first

In what contexts can circumspect take the place of wary?

In some situations, the words circumspect and wary are roughly equivalent. However, circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding.

circumspect in his business dealings

Examples of wary in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web The message is clearly tailored to reach Black men in Pennsylvania — and any other man who may be wary of supporting a woman as the next president. —

Ed O'Keefe, CBS News, 24 Oct. 2024 But, health experts are wary of how effective (and accurate) some of the information is. —

Elle Turner, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2024 Employers appear to be growing increasingly wary of shelling out nearly six figures for staff who will jump ship once their studies conclude. —

Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 15 Oct. 2024 Investors might be wary of taking on too much risk or remain unclear on the growth potential. —

Anne-Marie Rosser, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wary

Adjective

Be aware of unconscious bias: Language fluency often leads to higher status in teams, but managers should be cautious of letting this override other important factors like expertise, creativity and insight.

IESE Business School, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Beta-blockers are not appropriate for everyone, and there are some groups of people who should be cautious when taking them.41 People with diabetes because these medications can mask the symptoms of low blood sugar like shakiness or fast heartbeat.

Sara Hoffman, PharmD, Verywell Health, 22 Oct. 2024