wariness
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- overwariness noun
Etymology
Origin of wariness
Explanation
Wariness is the characteristic of being very cautious or careful. It's smart to have certain amount of wariness when you approach a dog you don't know. Your wariness might cause you not to trust people when you first meet them — reserving judgment or waiting to see if they turn out to be reliable can both be evidence of wariness. Sometimes wariness is entirely appropriate, like when you move through a haunted house or handle a snake. The noun wariness comes from the adjective wary, or "cautious or careful," with its Old English root, wær, "prudent, aware, or alert."
Vocabulary lists containing wariness
"Laws are not the only way to boost immunization”: an editorial from Nature
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Every Day
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More Than a Dream
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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.
On the whole, there appears to be a healthy mix of market confidence and wariness.
From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026
When it was announced, there was wariness about how the comedy sketch show would translate for a British audience.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
Dimon’s wariness contrasts with his own bank’s strategist.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026
It also represents wariness on the part of moderates toward the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party’s conservative religious vision for the country.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
A queer look came into the old eyes, a kind of wariness; the deep wells were covered over.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
