wary

adjective

\ ˈwer-ē

warier; wariest

Definition of wary

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

Other Words from wary Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about wary

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web

And that’s enough to make health professionals wary. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "More pregnant women are using marijuana. We don’t know if that’s safe.," 20 Nov. 2018 More important, Trump’s sanctions make Western oil companies broadly wary to invest in Russia, said Victoria Herrmann, president of the The Arctic Institute, a think tank. — Emily Atkin, The New Republic, "Trump, Putin, and the Race for Arctic Oil," 25 Apr. 2018 Analysts were wary of how much traction the proposal would get in Washington, although markets reacted positively to the development. — Sarah Mcfarlane, WSJ, "Oil Prices Rise on Hopes for U.S.-China Trade Resolution," 18 Jan. 2019 Inter would have been wary of facing lower-league opposition after almost being embarrassed by Pordenone at the same stage last season before struggling past the third-division side on penalties. — Daniella Matar, The Seattle Times, "Inter, Napoli, Fiorentina into Italian Cup quarterfinals," 13 Jan. 2019 The Renewable Fuels Association was initially wary that the regulations gave its products too-high carbon scores, but ethanol has ended up generating about 45 percent of credits under the program so far. — Debra Kahn, Scientific American, "California to Extend Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Through 2030," 30 Apr. 2018 Landlords were initially wary about renting space to Hess for her business, but in the last few years professional cuddling has increased in popularity. — The Washington Post, OregonLive.com, "Some people are paying for cuddles. And it's not what you might think.," 20 Apr. 2018 After the tragic, unexpected death of Linda Reagan (Amy Carlson) on Blue Bloods, viewers might be a bit wary of the future of other beloved characters. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Is Danny Reagan's Son on 'Blue Bloods' Leaving the Show?," 16 Nov. 2018 For obvious reasons, federal regulators are going to be extra wary of testing experimental technology on schoolchildren. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Feds shut down self-driving school bus pilot in Florida," 22 Oct. 2018

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.

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Dictionary Entries near wary

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Last Updated

4 Feb 2019

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Time Traveler for wary

The first known use of wary was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for wary

wary

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of wary

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

See the full definition for wary in the English Language Learners Dictionary

wary

adjective

\ ˈwer-ē

warier; wariest

Kids Definition of wary

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

Other Words from wary

warily \ ˈwer-ə-lē- \ adverb

wariness \ ˈwer-ē-nəs \ noun

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