warily
Americanadverb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of warily
Explanation
When you do things warily, you're cautious and concerned. Behaving warily is like treating the situation with kid gloves. There are a lot of things in life that should be approached warily — like bear cubs, for example. (Actually, they shouldn't be approached at all). Delivering bad news is done warily. People drive warily on ice, and they walk warily on ice, too. When you're acting warily — in other words, being wary — you're worried about what could happen, so you're careful and you take precautions.
Vocabulary lists containing warily
List 5
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Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam
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The Dragonet Prophecy
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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.
He was used to looking warily to the east.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Once, diplomatic counterparts who controlled huge sums were regarded warily by U.S. diplomats.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Some union leaders viewed Carvalho warily, although they have not attacked him with the intensity of some past superintendents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Their alliance is an unusual one between well-known names in industries that have eyed each other warily since the advent of models that can generate audio, images and video.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
He thought about the first day he had gone there, the strangeness of it, the way he had trodden about warily, like a cat, smelling out new things.
From "I'm the King of the Castle" by Susan Hill
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.
