leery

[ leer-ee ]

/ ˈlɪər i /

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See synonyms for: leery / leeriness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.

wary; suspicious (usually followed by of): I'm leery of his financial advice.

Archaic. knowing; alert.

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Sometimes lear·y .

Origin of leery

First recorded in 1790–1800; leer¹ + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM leery

leer·i·ly, adverbleer·i·ness, noun

Words nearby leery

lee gauge, leek, leek-green, leer, Lee, Robert E., leery, lees, Leesburg, lee shore, Lees Summit, leet

Other definitions for leery (2 of 2)

leery²

[ leer-ee ]

/ ˈlɪər i /

adjective, leer·i·er, leer·i·est.

leer².

Origin of leery

leer² + -y¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use leery in a sentence

Diosady notes that even his own wife “is very leery of anything I bring from the lab.”
One man’s crusade to end a global scourge with better salt|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review
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.
Defund the Police? Here’s What’s Actually Possible in San Diego|Ashly McGlone|December 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
It should be leery of sticking to a script when the opponent is so viciously adaptable.
The coronavirus has turned the NFL into a joke, and nobody should be laughing|Jerry Brewer|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
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.
‘Quickly turning on a dime’: How Cadillac steered its advertising through the coronavirus crisis|Lara O'Reilly|September 30, 2020|Digiday

Some investors are still leery of ad tech, having been burned in the past.
‘A significant uptick in deal flow’: Why Europe is becoming a hotbed of ad tech innovation|Lara O'Reilly|August 5, 2020|Digiday
Like Sheehy, Felker had also been previously married and they were both leery of commitment.
Gail Sheehy Books Passage to the Past|Lizzie Crocker|September 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The medical staff were at first leery of treating her for fear of Ebola.
How Bureaucrats Let Ebola Spread to Nigeria|Michael Daly|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Trierweiler leaves the Elysée Palace having never cemented her place there with a leery French public.
Francois Hollande Announces Breakup with First Lady Valerie Trierweiler|Tracy McNicoll|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The business has ground to a standstill as hair suppliers in other parts of Ukraine are leery of coming to the capital.
Slouching Towards Maidan: An American Hair-Trader Reflects On Ukraine’s Protests|Vijai Maheshwari|December 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And Obama, as the first black president, seemed leery of tackling an issue with such clear racial overtones.
How Eric Holder Got His Chance to Overhaul Broken Sentencing System|Daniel Klaidman|August 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Hes already kinda leery about you and But thats your funeral.
The Gray Phantom's Return|Herman Landon
I no longer see in the corner of the quartermaster's eye the leery droop that greeted me at the start.
The Life of the Fly|J. Henri Fabre
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 Boy With the U. S. Foresters|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
The "Friend" will give you a lot of advertising to place for them, for they are always "leery" of competition.
The Bread Line|Albert Bigelow Paine
He was tugging villainously at a wicked mustache, and his eyes were thrillingly leery.
We Can't Have Everything|Rupert Hughes

British Dictionary definitions for leery

leery

leary

/ (ˈlɪərɪ) /

adjective leerier, leeriest, learier or leariest

mainly dialect knowing or sly

slang (foll by of) suspicious or wary

slang rowdy or boisterous

Derived forms of leery

leeriness or leariness, noun

Word Origin for leery

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

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

leery

Origin of leery

OTHER WORDS FROM leery

Words nearby leery

Other definitions for leery (2 of 2)

Origin of leery

Words related to leery

How to use leery in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for leery

leary

Derived forms of leery

Word Origin for leery