wary

play

adjective \ˈwer-ē\

Definition of wary

warier

;

wariest

: marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchfulness especially in detecting and escaping danger

warily

play \ˈwer-ə-lē\ adverb

wariness

play \ˈwer-ē-nəs\ noun

See wary defined for English-language learners

See wary defined for kids

Examples of wary in a Sentence

Great critics are sometimes wary of great authors. Eliot and Pound usually sidled past Shakespeare. —William Logan, New York Times Book Review, 11 Feb. 2001
Though sycamore wood was much used, pioneers were wary of the tree's fuzzy leaves, which they believed brought allergies and even consumption. —Arthur Plotnik, The Urban Tree Book: An Uncommon Field Guide for City and Town, 2000
Modern literary novelists … wary of neat solutions and happy endings, have tended to invest their mysteries with an aura of ambiguity and to leave them unresolved. —David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992
The store owner kept a wary eye on him.
Investors are increasingly wary about putting money into stocks.

Recent Examples of wary from the Web

At the same time, many conservative Republicans have been wary of the idea of a massive government investment.

— the associated press, NOLA.com, "Trump to push infrastructure plan, including overhauls for roads, bridges, air traffic", 3 June 2017
Home Run’ Trip Leaves White House Happy, Europe Agape Trump’s first foreign trip as president left fellow members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization unsettled and wary, as well.

— jennifer a dlouhy, Bloomberg.com, "Trump’s Paris Exit Leaves Him Isolated From C-Suites to Capitals", 2 June 2017
But lawmakers and mental health advocates are wary about handing over the facility to a private company — especially given the ongoing questions about the effectiveness of the state’s privatized foster care and Medicaid systems.

— bryan lowry, kansascity, "Mental health: Kansas faces tough questions about future of state hospital", 31 May 2017
Some are wary of putting a price on such a vital resource.

— simon montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, "Michigan’s new water battle: How much of it should Nestle bottle?", 31 May 2017
The whole process will be put up for a vote this month, but residents are wary it will be rigged.

— ivan watson, CNN, "Russians protest plans to demolish Soviet-era apartment buildings", 29 May 2017
Immigrants are often wary of reporting crimes committed against them.

— nereida moreno, chicagotribune.com, "Scam artists target immigrant communities, promising legal status for cash", 28 May 2017
Even though water levels were receding by Sunday night, disaster management officials were wary as more rain was expected in the southwestern parts of the island in the next few days.

— dharisha bastians, New York Times, "Floods in Sri Lanka Displace Half a Million", 28 May 2017
If Ryan Blaney’s reaction was anything typical Thursday, NASCAR drivers are hopeful, yet wary, of the sealer applied to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s driving surface.

— rick bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Will sealer make for better racing Sunday? It’s still a mystery", 25 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wary'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wary

¹ware, from Middle English war, ware, from Old English wær careful, aware, wary; akin to Old High German giwar aware, attentive, Latin vereri to fear, Greek horan to see

First Known Use: 15th century

Synonym Discussion of wary

cautious, circumspect, wary, chary mean prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk. cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger. a cautious driver circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding. circumspect in his business dealings wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it. keeps a wary eye on the competition chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely. chary of signing papers without having read them first

WARY Defined for English Language Learners

wary

play

adjective

Definition of wary for English Language Learners

: not having or showing complete trust in someone or something that could be dangerous or cause trouble

WARY Defined for Kids

wary

play

adjective \ˈwer-ē\

Definition of wary for Students

warier

;

wariest

: very cautious The baker's worries about ogres and bandits I thought exaggerated … However, I was wary of strangers. — Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted