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

• unchary
  adjective
• charily
  adverb

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chary charier chariest

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

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 ● Jan. 14, 2022

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

He seemed to have no friends, and was chary of making acquaintances; in that great house he lived the life of a lonely recluse.

From Miss Arnott's Marriage by Marsh, Richard

He belonged to the new scientific school which studies and co-relates, but is chary of affirmations, and charier still of denials.

From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by King, Basil

I have grown charier of the word ‘impossible’ now.

From The Daughters of Danaus by Caird, Mona

Perhaps they ran out so to greet the winter-worn mariners of Plymouth, and have been pursued by the love of their descendants ever since, they getting charier.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 05, No. 28, February, 1860 by Various

She was more and more masterful, quicker with her orders, charier of her smiles, shorter of speech and temper.

From Hidden Creek by Burt, Katharine Newlin

“An I had thought ye were so angry I would ’a’ been charier of crossing you. 

From The Black Arrow by Stevenson, Robert Louis

Shall we not revise Shakespeare: The chariest maid is prodigal enough If she unmask her beauty on the Boul.

From The So-called Human Race by Taylor, Bert Leston

The chariest maid is prodigal enough, If she unmask her beauty to the moon: Virtue itself 'scapes not calumnious strokes.

From Characteristics of Women Moral, Poetical, and Historical by Jameson, Mrs. (Anna)