wary

adjective \ ˈwer-ē \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of wary

warier; wariest

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

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warily

play \ˈwer-ə-lē\ adverb

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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

Everyone else, including a lot of Republicans, remain wary.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "People who approve of Trump do so *because* of his behavior in office, not despite it," 29 Aug. 2017
Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.

— donna vickroy, Daily Southtown, "In aftermath of Harvey, experts say, 'Give, but give wisely'," 29 Aug. 2017
Condé Nast Traveler is still encouraging visitors to head across the Shivering Sea to explore Westeros and Essos (granted, all should be wary of rogue spears, poison, beheadings, and weddings).

— Condé Nast Traveler, "Hot (Pie) Tables," 25 Aug. 2017
Democrats have grown wary of big tech companies’ market dominance, and have begun voicing concerns that their behavior is anticompetitive.

— vanityfair.com, "“We Do Not Have Long”: Elon Musk Calls for a Global Ban on Killer Robots," 21 Aug. 2017
Democrats have grown wary of big tech companies’ market dominance, and have begun voicing concerns that their behavior is anticompetitive.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "“We Do Not Have Long”: Elon Musk Calls for a Global Ban on Killer Robots," 21 Aug. 2017
Regardless of whether those school administrators were right to be wary, not a year has gone by since that I haven’t felt cheated out of a life-changing experience.

— tyler nordgren, Discover Magazine, "Eclipse 2017: Darkness Is Coming," 7 Aug. 2017
The 2017 letter was also sent to five sponsors of the Edwardsville Pierogi Festival, which Haggerty said has made some wary to participate next year.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Communities face off in pierogi trademark battle," 1 Aug. 2017
European savers hoping to see higher rates must be wary of a new foe after Mario Draghi – demography.

— alessandro speciale, Bloomberg.com, "After Draghi, Demography: Aging Society Will Keep Euro Rates Low," 27 July 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 + ¹-y

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First Known Use: 15th century

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wary Synonyms

Synonyms

alert, cautious, chary, circumspect, conservative, considerate, gingerly, guarded, heedful, safe, careful

Antonyms

careless, heedless, incautious, unguarded, unmindful, unsafe, unwary

Related Words

advertent, attentive, awake, observant, regardful, vigilant, watchful; hypercautious; foresighted, foresightful, forethoughtful, provident, thoughtful; cagey (also cagy), calculating, canny, shrewd; deliberate, slow; ultracareful, ultracautious

Near Antonyms

bold, brash, impetuous, rash, reckless, venturesome; asleep, inattentive, regardless; inconsiderate, thoughtless; lax, neglectful, negligent, remiss; imprudent, indiscreet, injudicious; absentminded, forgetful; inadvertent, unintentional, unplanned

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

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

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

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warily

\ˈwer-ə-lē-\ adverb

—

wariness

\ˈwer-ē-nəs\ noun

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Origin and Etymology of wary

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WARY Defined for English Language Learners

wary

Definition of wary for English Language Learners

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warily

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