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wary

[ wair-ee ]
/ ˈwɛər i /
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See synonyms for: wary / warily / wariness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, war·i·er, war·i·est.
watchful; being on one's guard against danger.
arising from or characterized by caution: to give someone a wary look.
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Origin of wary

First recorded in 1545–55; ware2 + -y1

synonym study for wary

1. See careful.

OTHER WORDS FROM wary

war·i·ly, adverbwar·i·ness, nouno·ver·war·y, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wary

wary , weary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wary

wary
/ (ˈwɛərɪ) /

adjective warier or wariest
watchful, cautious, or alert
characterized by caution or watchfulness

Derived forms of wary

warily, adverbwariness, noun

Word Origin for wary

C16: from ware ² + -y 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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