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View synonyms for leery

leery

1

[ leer-ee ]

adjective

, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.
  1. wary; suspicious (usually followed by of ):

    I'm leery of his financial advice.

  2. Archaic. knowing; alert.


leery

2

[ leer-ee ]

adjective

, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.

leery

/ ˈlɪərɪ /

adjective

  1. dialect.
    knowing or sly
  2. slang.
    foll by of suspicious or wary
  3. slang.
    rowdy or boisterous
“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


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Derived Forms

  • ˈleeriness, noun
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Other Words From

  • leeri·ly adverb
  • leeri·ness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of leery1

First recorded in 1790–1800; leer 1 + -y 1

Origin of leery2

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Word History and Origins

Origin of leery1

C18: perhaps from obsolete sense (to look askance) of leer
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Example Sentences

Diosady notes that even his own wife “is very leery of anything I bring from the lab.”

If city officials were leery of cutting police personnel to close the existing $124 million gap, or even part of it, they may turn to the almost $72 million the city spends from its general fund on the non-personnel side of the police budget.

It should be leery of sticking to a script when the opponent is so viciously adaptable.

However, Zenith also predicts a bounce back in 2021 and 2022 as consumers — many likely to still be leery of public transportation — take action on delayed purchase decisions.

From Digiday

Some investors are still leery of ad tech, having been burned in the past.

From Digiday

Like Sheehy, Felker had also been previously married and they were both leery of commitment.

The medical staff were at first leery of treating her for fear of Ebola.

Trierweiler leaves the Elysée Palace having never cemented her place there with a leery French public.

The business has ground to a standstill as hair suppliers in other parts of Ukraine are leery of coming to the capital.

And Obama, as the first black president, seemed leery of tackling an issue with such clear racial overtones.

Hes already kinda leery about you and But thats your funeral.

I no longer see in the corner of the quartermaster's eye the leery droop that greeted me at the start.

A piece down the road, say a mile an' a half, I'm told there's a rotten bit o' road, an' I'm a little leery of trouble there.

The "Friend" will give you a lot of advertising to place for them, for they are always "leery" of competition.

He was tugging villainously at a wicked mustache, and his eyes were thrillingly leery.

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Lee, Robert E.lees