chary

American  

[chair-ee] / ˈtʃɛər i /

adjective

charier, chariest

1. cautious or careful; wary.

   He was chary of investing in oil wells.

   Synonyms:

   circumspect

   Antonyms:

   trustful

2. shy; timid.

   Antonyms:

   confident

3. fastidious; choosy.

   She is excessively chary about her friends.

   Antonyms:

   uncritical

4. sparing (often followed byof ).

   chary of his praise.

   Synonyms:

   frugal

   Antonyms:

   lavish

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chary British  

/ ˈtʃɛərɪ /

adjective

1. wary; careful

2. choosy; finicky

3. shy

4. sparing; mean

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Other Word Forms

• charily adverb
• unchary adjective

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)

Example Sentences

Even if she wanted to pursue an exemption, the Lord Advocate would be chary of inciting the home secretary's ire.

From BBC

Instead, “West Side Story” languished when it was first released, its core audience of older filmgoers still chary of venturing into theaters.

From Washington Post

Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.

From Washington Post

However, I recognize that many people are likely to be chary of returning to public transport for a while, and Beltway expansion may be necessary as a stopgap.

From Washington Post

I always feel chary about recommending the Society’s books since I’ve supplied introductions to several of them.

From Washington Post