unwary

American  

[uhn-wair-ee] / ʌnˈwɛər i /

adjective

unwarier, unwariest

1. not wary; not cautious or watchful, as against danger or misfortune.

   Synonyms:

   heedless, rash, indiscreet, incautious

   Antonyms:

   cautious, careful

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unwary British  

/ ʌnˈwɛərɪ /

adjective

1. lacking caution or prudence; not vigilant or careful

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Other Word Forms

• unwariness
  noun
• unwarily
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of unwary

First recorded in 1570–80; un- ¹ + wary

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Explanation

Someone who's unwary isn't careful — in fact, an unwary person might be a little bit reckless. When your unwary cousin travels to China, he might end up being overcharged for a rickshaw ride. When you don't know the potential dangers or challenges that lie in front of you, you're unwary. While unwary people aren't overly suspicious or cautious, they run the risk of being taken advantage of or even getting hurt. To be wary is to be very watchful or cautious — it comes from the Old English root wær, "prudent, aware, or alert," and unwary combines it with un, or "not."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

unwary unwariest

And easy money can backfire on the unwary.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 11, 2026

Untethered to any fundamental values, these markets would be exceptionally easy to manipulate and hard to police, further endangering unwary investors.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2024

The creepiest by far is “dead men’s fingers,” Decaisnea fargesii, whose pewter-blue, fingerlike fruits stand out against butter-yellow foliage and reach out to unwary visitors.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 17, 2023

And every so often, the hungry earth opens into a sinkhole, eating everything in sight and beckoning the unwary into a maze of shifting waters and wind tunnels.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2023

There woe long nets here and there, erected on poles, into which unwary geese might fly.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

A franc a day is what is paid in these parts by lodgers, chiefly officers, and no more would be asked of the wealthiest or unwariest.

From Holidays in Eastern France by Matilda Betham-Edwards

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