vary
Americanverb (used with object)
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varies,
present (3rd person singular)
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varied,
past participle, past
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varying
present participle
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to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance.
to vary one's methods.
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to cause to be different from something else.
The orchestra varied last night's program with one new selection.
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to avoid or relieve from uniformity or monotony; diversify.
to vary one's diet.
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Music. to alter (a melody or theme) by modification or embellishments without changing its identity.
verb (used without object)
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varies,
present (3rd person singular)
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varied,
past participle, past
-
varying
present participle
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to show diversity; be different.
The age at which children are ready to read varies.
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to undergo change in appearance, form, substance, character, etc..
The landscape begins to vary as one drives south.
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to change periodically or in succession; differ or alternate.
Demand for certain products varies with the season.
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to diverge; depart; deviate (usually followed byfrom ).
to vary from the norm.
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Mathematics. to be subject to change.
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Biology. to exhibit variation.
verb
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to undergo or cause to undergo change, alteration, or modification in appearance, character, form, attribute, etc
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to be different or cause to be different; be subject to change
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(tr) to give variety to
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to differ, as from a convention, standard, etc
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(intr) to change in accordance with another variable
her mood varies with the weather
pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume
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(tr) music to modify (a theme) by the use of variation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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variernoun
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overvaryverb
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intervaryverb (used without object)
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self-varyingadjective
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unvaryingadjective
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varyingadjective
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unvaryinglyadverb
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varyinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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varysimple
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variessimple
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have variedperfect
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has variedperfect
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am varyingprogressive
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are varyingprogressive
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is varyingprogressive
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have been varyingperfect progressive
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has been varyingperfect progressive
Past
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variedsimple
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had variedperfect
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was varyingprogressive
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were varyingprogressive
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had been varyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vary
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English varien, from Latin variāre, equivalent to vari(us) ( see various) + -āre infinitive suffix
Explanation
If you're tired of the same old breakfast of bran flakes and orange juice, vary your routine—put some banana slices on those bran flakes. You can vary the routine by changing the details but keeping the basics the same. Use the verb vary when you're talking about changing up your usual routine. If your schedule changes at work, you might have to vary your sleep habits. A good dye job will vary the tints a little to look more natural. The ambiance at Olive Garden varies from restaurant to restaurant, but the unlimited breadsticks are always delicious. You'll probably recognize the root vari, which shows up in other words with similar meanings, like various, variable, and even variegated.
Vocabulary lists containing vary
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 5
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A Cornell-led research team has now shown just how dramatically those pathways can vary at Mount Etna in Italy.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
Estimates as to the scale of the country’s housing shortage vary widely, said Donovan, who is now the chief executive of national housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
The new food standards will apply to primary and secondary schools in England, but rules for school dinners vary across the UK.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
But if interest rates go up, as is the prevailing expectation, he said the reaction among AI-related stocks could vary.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
Thus, the development and reception of inventions vary enormously from society to society on the same continent.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
What started as a small summer-solstice gathering on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986 now draws typically 70,000 festival-goers, although that number varies each year.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
At least 40 states now suggest schools address the anniversary, but how varies widely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
In other words, they asked whether the effect varies depending on the direction in which it is measured.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
While Tesla currently operates robotaxis in seven cities, the extent of its reach varies.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
As the earth and Jupiter orbit around the sun, the distance between them varies.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Chatzky recommends a varied strategy for retired investors to set up streams of income and feel better about spending money to have fun.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
The generational distance that has muffled the pain of 2001 is also seen in California’s varied educational approach.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
"Depending on how you answered it it got easier or harder so it varied depending on how well you did."
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The programs varied widely in how they were delivered.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
They varied in thickness as much as the most common sizes of screws.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Sketches, of varying lengths, build a central idea out in every direction, and a little farther than you might expect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
The team lays out several scenarios, varying by the speed of adoption, the degree to which AI drives productivity, and whether it supports or replaces workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
For example, the widely varying geographic, demographic, social, and economic circumstances of the states has meant that they need different things from the central government.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Cancer mortality showed smaller but still substantial differences, varying by about two times.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
This highly refined coordination and cooperation must be multiplied out across eight individuals of varying statures and physiques to make the most of each individual’s strengths.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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.
