leery

[ leer-ee ]

/ ˈlɪər i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leery 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.

Nearby words

Origin of leery

First recorded in 1790–1800; leer¹ + -y¹

Related formsleer·i·ly, adverbleer·i·ness, noun

Can be confusedwary weary leery

leery

[ 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for leery

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
Many were leery of sending their children to school before they were sure it was completely safe.
Overcast With A Chance Of Rockets|Ehud Zion Waldoks|November 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The UCI has promised to consider such options, although some critics are leery.
Lance Armstrong’s Shadow Looms Large Over 100th Edition of Tour de France|Tracy McNicoll|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
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
Obadiah was the one they was leery of, so Weaver put Fieldmouse in the race and told Murphy to take care of you.
Old Man Curry|Charles E. (Charles Emmett) Van Loan
Court dont sit any more in this case, growled out Dorsett, who all along had regarded Ralph with a leery eye.
Ralph, the Train Dispatcher|Allen Chapman
She's a leery old bird—reminds me of one of those pictures of Fate, don't you know.
The Skin Game (Fourth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy
There was a sort of leery look about it, and it seemed to me as if she had just picked you out and meant to have you.
The Ocean Cat's Paw|George Manville Fenn

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 Formsleeriness 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

Word Origin and History for leery

leery

adj.

"untrusting, suspicious, alert," 1718, originally slang, with -y (2), and perhaps from dialectal lere "learning, knowledge" (see lore), or from leer (v.) in some now-obscure sense. OED suggests connection with archaic leer (adj.) "empty, useless," a general Germanic word (cf. German leer, Dutch laar), of unknown origin.