wary

  • 1Wary — Wa ry, a. [Compar. {Warier}; superl. {Wariest}.] [OE. war, AS. w[ae]r; akin to Icel. v?rr, Dan. & Sw. var, Goth. wars, G. gewahr aware, OHG. wara notice, attention, Gr. ? to see. Cf. {Aware}, {Garment}, {Garnish}, {Garrison}, {Panorama}, {Ward},… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2wary — [wer′ē] adj. warier, wariest [< WARE2 + Y2] 1. cautious; on one s guard 2. characterized by caution [a wary look] SYN. CAREFUL wary …

    English World dictionary

  • 3wary — (adj.) 1550s, from O.E. wær prudent, aware, alert, wary, from P.Gmc. *waraz (Cf. O.N. varr attentive, Goth. wars cautious, O.S. giwar, M.Du. gheware, O.H.G. giwar, Ger. gewahr aware ), from PIE root *wer to cover (see …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4wary — ► ADJECTIVE (warier, wariest) (often wary of) ▪ cautious about possible dangers or problems. DERIVATIVES warily adverb wariness noun. ORIGIN Old English …

    English terms dictionary

  • 5Wary — Wary, 1) so v. Karlsbad; 2) so v. w. Quary …

    Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • 6wary — index alert (vigilant), circumspect, deliberate, diffident, guarded, inconvincible, leery, noncommittal …

    Law dictionary

  • 7wary — chary, *cautious, circumspect, calculating Analogous words: alert, *watchful: prudent, discreet, foresighted, forethoughtful, provident (see under PRUDENCE) Antonyms: foolhardy: brash (of persons) Contrasted words: *careless, heedless,… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 8wary — [adj] careful, cautious alert, attentive, cagey, calculating, canny, chary, circumspect, considerate, discreet, distrustful, doubting, frugal, gingerly, guarded, handling with kid gloves*, heedful, keeping on one’s toes*, leery, on guard, on the… …

    New thesaurus

  • 9wary — adj. VERBS ▪ be, feel, look, seem ▪ become, get, grow ▪ remain ▪ …

    Collocations dictionary

  • 10wary — war|y [ˈweəri US ˈweri] adj [Date: 1400 1500; Origin: ware careful (11 20 centuries), from Old English wAr] someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful be wary of (doing) sth ▪ I m a bit wary of… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English