chary
Americanadjective
-
cautious or careful; wary.
He was chary of investing in oil wells.
- Synonyms:
- circumspect
- Antonyms:
- trustful
-
shy; timid.
- Antonyms:
- confident
-
fastidious; choosy.
She is excessively chary about her friends.
- Antonyms:
- uncritical
-
sparing (often followed byof ).
chary of his praise.
- Synonyms:
- frugal
- Antonyms:
- lavish
adjective
-
wary; careful
-
choosy; finicky
-
shy
-
sparing; mean
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chary
before 1000; Middle English; Old English cearig sorrowful ( c ( e ) ar ( u ) care + -ig -y 1 ); cognate with Old Saxon karag, Old High German karag ( German karg scanty, paltry)
Explanation
Being chary (pronounced CHAIR-ee) is being wary or cautious. If you lost two teeth in last year’s rugby season, you should be chary of signing up again this year. Chary comes from the Old English word cearig for "sorrowful, careful," which is basically what you are if you’re chary. If you’re a little suspicious of something and mulling it over, you’re being chary. A synonym of chary is wary, and both include caution, but some definitions suggest that it's obvious when someone is wary — it shows — while being chary is more of an inside, or hidden, distrust.
Vocabulary lists containing chary
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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"Marigolds"
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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.
Even if she wanted to pursue an exemption, the Lord Advocate would be chary of inciting the home secretary's ire.
From BBC • Sep. 1, 2025
I always feel chary about recommending the Society’s books since I’ve supplied introductions to several of them.
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2020
But Mr Richardson is a bit chary nonetheless when he holds the newspaper—perhaps due to its age and fragility, or perhaps in memory of those poisoned printers.
From Economist • May 23, 2018
Back at the house, McTeer told me that she is chary of media attention.
From The New Yorker • Oct. 17, 2016
Even when men are rowing a second or third race in the day, they should not be chary of extending themselves for a few strokes on the way to the post.
From Boating by Woodgate, W. B.
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.
