vary
Americanverb (used with object)
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to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance.
to vary one's methods.
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to cause to be different from something else.
The orchestra varied last night's program with one new selection.
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to avoid or relieve from uniformity or monotony; diversify.
to vary one's diet.
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Music. to alter (a melody or theme) by modification or embellishments without changing its identity.
verb (used without object)
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to show diversity; be different.
The age at which children are ready to read varies.
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to undergo change in appearance, form, substance, character, etc..
The landscape begins to vary as one drives south.
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to change periodically or in succession; differ or alternate.
Demand for certain products varies with the season.
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to diverge; depart; deviate (usually followed byfrom ).
to vary from the norm.
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Mathematics. to be subject to change.
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Biology. to exhibit variation.
verb
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to undergo or cause to undergo change, alteration, or modification in appearance, character, form, attribute, etc
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to be different or cause to be different; be subject to change
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(tr) to give variety to
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to differ, as from a convention, standard, etc
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(intr) to change in accordance with another variable
her mood varies with the weather
pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume
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(tr) music to modify (a theme) by the use of variation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of vary
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English varien, from Latin variāre, equivalent to vari(us) ( see various) + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
If you're tired of the same old breakfast of bran flakes and orange juice, vary your routine—put some banana slices on those bran flakes. You can vary the routine by changing the details but keeping the basics the same. Use the verb vary when you're talking about changing up your usual routine. If your schedule changes at work, you might have to vary your sleep habits. A good dye job will vary the tints a little to look more natural. The ambiance at Olive Garden varies from restaurant to restaurant, but the unlimited breadsticks are always delicious. You'll probably recognize the root vari, which shows up in other words with similar meanings, like various, variable, and even variegated.
Vocabulary lists containing vary
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As we talked a train trundled westwards over the river, heading to Prague's Smichov station, and from there onwards to Karlovy Vary, Pilsen or Germany.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 2025
Another, called “How States Vary From the Future United States,” arranges states confusingly in “beeswarm plots” according to their current and projected racial representation.
From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2023
Vary the base, filling, type of chocolate and crunchy topping to your own taste and imagination.
From Salon • Oct. 2, 2022
“They got up so close to these erupting craters and their sheer love is palpable in their imagery,” Dosa told The Times during a recent video interview from the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2022
Vary by inversion of the colors in ground and darker vase.
From A Color Notation A measured color system, based on the three qualities Hue, Value and Chroma by Munsell, A. H. (Albert Henry)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
