wary
- 01 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.
Simple“You should be wary of emails that ask for your password.”
In context“Investors remained wary of the tech sector following the sudden collapse of several high-profile startups earlier in the quarter.”
UsageCommonly used with the preposition 'of' before a noun or gerund.
PitfallShe was wary about the dog. She was wary of the dog.The adjective 'wary' is most commonly followed by the preposition 'of'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
careful with money or resources.
demonstrating careful management of resources; provident or frugal.
Simple“The old man was wary with his small savings, never spending on luxuries.”
In context“In those lean years, the villagers were wary of every grain of wheat, ensuring nothing went to waste during the long winter.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is rarely encountered in modern speech; learners will almost always use 'wary' to mean 'cautious'.
SynonymsAntonyms
“They're also wary of those who are self-employed and those who don't work.”
From the adjective ware + -y.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.