warier; wariest
: marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchfulness especially in detecting and escaping danger
plural -es
: the quality or state of being wary : watchfulness, caution
Examples of wary in a Sentence
Adjective
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.
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 on the Web
Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Separately, some remain wary of the consequences of redundancies across certain functions.
—Meg Short, Fortune, 7 June 2026
But the mayor is wary of the questioning.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
But be wary of any bids that are out of line with others, especially any that are very low.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wary
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Adjective
Beijing is widely seen to be wary of that program, which has traditionally heightened American focus on the region and risks instability that could impact China, which shares a border with North Korea.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Separately, some remain wary of the consequences of redundancies across certain functions.
—Meg Short, Fortune, 7 June 2026
But the mayor is wary of the questioning.
—Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2026
But be wary of any bids that are out of line with others, especially any that are very low.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for wary
Cite this Entry
“Wary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wary. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wary
adjective
ˈwa(ə)r-ē 
ˈwe(ə)r-
warier; wariest
: very cautious
especially
: being on guard against danger or trickery
wary of strangers
warily
adverb
ˈwar-ə-lē,
ˈwer-
wariness
noun
ˈwar-ē-nəs,
ˈwer-
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