wary

adjective

ˈwer-ē 

warier; wariest

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

warily

ˈwer-ə-lē 

adverb

wariness

ˈwer-ē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of wary

• cautious
• careful
• alert

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

Picture a developer trying to build a hillside home; a commission that’s wary of such projects could reject it, while another commission that leans more pro-housing could approve it. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

As far as swings, parents should be wary if it’s promoted as something that helps sleep. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Hollywood has historically been wary of government involvement, whether in the form of censorship or via anti-monopolization efforts. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Banks grew wary of funding oil and gas projects, especially considering growing commitments to expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce emissions to tackle climate change. — The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

ware entry 2 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wary

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• cherry
• clary
• dairy
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry

Kids 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

ˈwar-ə-lē, 

ˈwer-

adverb

wariness

ˈwar-ē-nəs, 

ˈwer-

noun