What does "wary" mean?

1. (cautious and suspicious) careful because you think something might be dangerous or not true. 2. (thrifty) careful with money or resources.

How do you use "wary"?

Commonly used with the preposition 'of' before a noun or gerund.

Is it correct to say "She was wary about the dog."?

No — say "She was wary of the dog.". The adjective 'wary' is most commonly followed by the preposition 'of'.

wary

adj.

US //ˈwɛɹi// UK //wˈeəɹi// wary

1 cautious and suspicious (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

careful because you think something might be dangerous or not true.

feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems; often implies a lack of trust.

Example

You should be wary of emails that ask for your password.

Example

Investors remained wary of the tech sector following the sudden collapse of several high-profile startups earlier in the quarter.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'of' before a noun or gerund.
Pitfall

She was wary about the dog.

She was wary of the dog.

The adjective 'wary' is most commonly followed by the preposition 'of'.
2 thrifty (adj.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic

careful with money or resources.

demonstrating careful management of resources; provident or frugal.

Example

The old man was wary with his small savings, never spending on luxuries.

Example

In those lean years, the villagers were wary of every grain of wheat, ensuring nothing went to waste during the long winter.

Teacher's tip

This sense is rarely encountered in modern speech; learners will almost always use 'wary' to mean 'cautious'.
- wasteful
- extravagant

Etymology 1

From the adjective ware + -y.

Etymology 2

From Middle English warien, from Old English wierġan (“to curse, do evil”), from Proto-West Germanic wargijan, from Proto-Germanic wargijaną (“to condemn, curse”), from Proto-Germanic *wargaz (“criminal”). Doublet of warry.