wary

W4A1R1Y4
UK/ˈwɛə.ɹi/US/ˈwɛɚ.i/Australia/ˈweːɹi/New Zealand/ˈweəɹi/

adjective

Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously prudent

“He is wary of dogs.”

Similar
circumspectscrupulouscarefulcautiousguardedcharyon guardon one's guard
Opposite
unwary
OriginMiddle English warien ← Old English wierġan ← Proto-West Germanic *wargijan →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

wary1

adjectivewary (comparative warier, superlative wariest)

comparative warier · superlative wariest

  1. Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously prudent

    He is wary of dogs.

    Synonyms: circumspect, scrupulous, careful

  2. Characterized by caution; guarded; careful; on one's guard
  3. thrifty, provident

wary2

verbwary (third-person singular simple present waries, present participle warying, simple past and past participle waried)

present singular third person waries · participle present warying · participle past waried · past waried

  1. dialectalTo curse, revile.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveCautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously prudent

Similar
circumspectscrupulouscareful
Similar
cautiousguardedchary

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivemarked by keen caution and watchful prudence

Similar
on guardon one's guardupon one's guardshy
Opposite
unwary

adjectiveopenly distrustful and unwilling to confide

Similar
leerymistrustfulsuspiciousuntrustingdistrustful
Also see
afraidargus-eyedawakeawarecircumspectgingerlyleerymistrustfulon guardon one's guardshysuspiciousuntrustingvigilantwoke

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

wary · adjective

From the adjective ware + -y.

Full word history & related roots →

wary · verb

  1. Proto-Germanic*wargaz“criminal”
  2. Proto-Germanic*wargijaną“to condemn, curse”
  3. Proto-West Germanic*wargijan
  4. Old Englishwierġan“to curse, do evil”
  5. Middle Englishwarien
  6. Englishwary

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.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic حَذِر, مُحْتَرِس
  • حَذِر (ḥaḏir)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • مُحْتَرِس (muḥtaris)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Bulgarian внимателен, предпазлив
  • внимателен (vnimatelen)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • предпазлив (predpazliv)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • внимателен (vnimatelen)characterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • бдителен (bditelen)characterized by caution; guarded; careful
Catalan cautelós
  • cautelóscautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Chinese Mandarin 小心翼翼, 謹慎 /谨慎
  • 小心翼翼 (xiǎoxīn yìyì)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • 謹慎 /谨慎 (jǐnshèn)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Danish varsom, forsigtig
  • varsomcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • forsigtigcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • på vagtcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Dutch behoedzaam
  • behoedzaamcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Estonian ettevaatlik
  • ettevaatlikcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Finnish to be wary, pelätä
  • to be warycautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • pelätäcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • varovainencharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
French méfiant
  • méfiantcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
German achtsam, umsichtig
  • achtsamcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • umsichtigcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • vorsichtigcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • wachsamcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • vorsichtigcharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Greek επιφυλακτικός
  • επιφυλακτικός (epifylaktikós)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Hawaiian ʻeʻena, ʻāhē
  • ʻeʻenacautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • ʻāhēcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Hebrew נזהר, זהיר
  • נזהר (niz'hár)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • זהיר (zahír)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Hindi सावधान, सतर्क
  • सावधान (sāvdhān)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • सतर्क (satark)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • सावधान (sāvdhān)characterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • सतर्क (satark)characterized by caution; guarded; careful
Hungarian gyanakvó, bizalmatlankodó
  • gyanakvócautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • bizalmatlankodócautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • óvatoscautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • óvatoscharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • elővigyázatoscharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • körültekintőcharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Irish airdeallach, braiteach
  • airdeallachcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • braiteachcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • faichilleachcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Italian diffidente, accorto
  • diffidentecautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • accortocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • circospettocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • cautocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • vigilecharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • accortocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • circospettocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • guardingocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • cautelosocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Japanese 用心深い
  • 用心深い (yōjin-bukai)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Latin cautus
  • cautuscautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Latvian piesardzīgs
  • piesardzīgscautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Malay hati-hati, waspada
  • hati-haticautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • waspadacautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Māori matakana, owhiti
  • matakanacautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • owhiticautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • koritacautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • paokecautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • koritacharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Persian محتاط
  • محتاط (mohtât)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Polish czujny, przezorny
  • czujnycautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • przezornycautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • ostrożnycautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Portuguese cauteloso, cuidadoso
  • cautelosocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • cuidadosocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • de pé atráscautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • cautelosocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
  • cuidadosocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Russian насторо́женный, осторо́жный
  • насторо́женный (nastoróžennyj)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • осторо́жный (ostoróžnyj)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • подозри́тельный (podozrítelʹnyj)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • осторо́жный (ostoróžnyj)characterized by caution; guarded; careful
Slovak dávať si pozor, mať sa na pozore
  • dávať si pozorcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • mať sa na pozorecautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Spanish cauteloso, precavido
  • cautelosocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • precavidocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • desconfiadocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • recelosocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • sospechosocautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • sospechantecautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • suspicazcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • cautelosocharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Swedish försiktig, varsam
  • försiktigcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • varsamcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Thai ระวัง, ระมัดระวัง
  • ระวัง (rá-wang)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • ระมัดระวัง (rá-mát-rá-wang)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • ระแวง (rá-wɛɛng)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • ขี้ระแวงcharacterized by caution; guarded; careful
Turkish dikkat etmek, sakınmak
  • dikkat etmekcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
  • sakınmakcautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous
Ukrainian обере́жний
  • обере́жний (oberéžnyj)cautious of danger; timorously or suspiciously prudent; circumspect; scrupulous

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with wary

maryvaryhairyordinaryprairieCareyscaryburycarycanaryairywiktionarynarybearyunwarypearyeyriecharybilingual dictionarydot and carryfairywrenféerieflaryglairy
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

weary (cheer–chair merger)whirry (fair–fur merger)weary (cheer–chair merger)whirry (fair–fur merger)

Anagrams

Wrayawry
Cite this entry
APA

wary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wary

MLA

“wary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wary. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wary,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wary.

Source: wary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.