wary

American  

[wair-ee] / ˈwɛər i /

adjective

warier, wariest

1. watchful; being on one's guard against danger.

   Synonyms:

   prudent, circumspect, guarded, vigilant, alert

2. arising from or characterized by caution.

   to give someone a wary look.

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wary British  

/ ˈwɛərɪ /

adjective

1. watchful, cautious, or alert

2. characterized by caution or watchfulness

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Related Words

See careful.

Other Word Forms

• overwary adjective
• warily adverb
• wariness noun

Etymology

Origin of wary

First recorded in 1545–55; ware ² + -y ¹

Example Sentences

In 2025, consumers remained wary about spending too much on restaurants as they dealt with higher prices elsewhere.

From MarketWatch

The Houston oil giant is wary of committing new capital there until the country is more stable and questions around commercial agreements get resolved.

From The Wall Street Journal

If it doesn’t, then other countries will be increasingly wary of the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

He said Carley's medals, sword and the fact he was on his own made people wary.

From BBC

Beyond the biggest chains, the past few years have largely been ones to forget for retailers, as shoppers have remained wary about spending amid a battle with higher living costs.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• attentive
• circumspect
• considerate
• distrustful
• frugal
• leery
• prudent
• suspicious
• vigilant
• watchful