vary

[ vair-ee ]

verb (used with object)

, var·ied, var·y·ing.

1. to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance:

   to vary one's methods.

   Synonyms: mutate, modify

2. to cause to be different from something else:

   The orchestra varied last night's program with one new selection.

3. to avoid or relieve from uniformity or monotony; diversify:

   to vary one's diet.

4. Music. to alter (a melody or theme) by modification or embellishments without changing its identity.

verb (used without object)

, var·ied, var·y·ing.

1. to show diversity; be different:

   The age at which children are ready to read varies.

2. to undergo change in appearance, form, substance, character, etc.:

   The landscape begins to vary as one drives south.

3. to change periodically or in succession; differ or alternate:

   Demand for certain products varies with the season.

4. to diverge; depart; deviate (usually followed by from ):

   to vary from the norm.

5. Mathematics. to be subject to change.
6. Biology. to exhibit variation.

vary

/ ˈvɛərɪ /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo change, alteration, or modification in appearance, character, form, attribute, etc
2. to be different or cause to be different; be subject to change
3. tr to give variety to
4. intrfoll byfrom to differ, as from a convention, standard, etc
5. intr to change in accordance with another variable

   pressure varies directly with temperature and inversely with volume

   her mood varies with the weather

6. tr music to modify (a theme) by the use of variation

Derived Forms

• ˈvarying, adjective
• ˈvaryingly, adverb

Other Words From

• var·i·er noun
• var·y·ing·ly adverb
• in·ter·var·y verb (used without object) intervaried intervarying
• o·ver·var·y verb overvaried overvarying
• self-var·y·ing adjective
• un·var·y·ing adjective
• un·var·y·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of vary¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English varien, from Latin variāre, equivalent to vari(us) ( various ) + -āre infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of vary¹

C14: from Latin variāre, from varius various

Example Sentences

And, among those who are troubled, the intensity of the reaction will still vary a lot.

From Washington Post

Although it varies depending on the client, Twofivesix tends to focus much more on connecting brands to online gaming communities on Twitch, Reddit and elsewhere.

From Digiday

Figures vary, but less than 10 percent of all the Champagne imported in America is of the grower Champagne variety.

From Eater

Of course, those options vary based on who and where your valentine is.

From Popular-Science

The conference’s memo came weeks before many student-athletes must decide whether to enroll for the spring semester, which varies by school, and risk losing a year of eligibility even if they don’t play.

From Washington Post

Not surprisingly, rates for recovery vary enormously, from as low as three percent to upwards of 75 percent.

From The Daily Beast

Such waivers vary from state to state, and within the same state there can be many types of waivers.

From The Daily Beast

My tasks vary from marketing to writing a page for a magazine.

From The Daily Beast

Around Liberia, opinions as to whether the epidemic is slowing vary.

From The Daily Beast

Although reports vary, it seems that most of the thousand or so soldiers at the base may have been captured or killed.

From The Daily Beast

Such are most probably given by the essential oils, which vary in amount in different species of the plant.

From Project Gutenberg

They vary greatly in size, being sometimes so small as to seem mere points of light with medium-power objectives.

From Project Gutenberg

They all contain nuclei, and most of them contain granules which vary in size and staining properties.

From Project Gutenberg

Different lots of Wright's fluid vary, and a few preliminary stains should be made with each lot to learn its peculiarities.

From Project Gutenberg

Pathologically, red corpuscles vary in size and shape, staining properties, and structure.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alter
• differ
• diverge
• diversify
• divide
• fluctuate
• modify
• range