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Synonyms

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
chary British  
/ ˈtʃɛərɪ /

adjective

  1. wary; careful

  2. choosy; finicky

  3. shy

  4. sparing; mean

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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)

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.