Wary Meaning: Wary Of, Examples and Wary vs Weary

Wary means cautious and alert to possible danger or trouble. It is an adjective: a wary person is careful because there may be a reason not to trust someone or something.

Example: Nila was wary of the unfamiliar link and checked the sender before opening it.

Pronunciation guide: WAIR-ee. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Wary of: meaning · Examples · Wary vs weary · Three-question quiz

What does being wary mean?

To be wary is to act or feel cautiously because something might go wrong. A wary person may watch closely, ask questions or wait for more information before deciding what to do.

The word describes caution, not proof that a threat exists. “She was wary of the offer” tells us she had reservations. It does not by itself establish that the offer was dishonest. Wary can describe a sensible response to uncertainty.

Wary of: meaning and grammar

Wary of means cautious about, or reluctant to trust, the person or thing named afterwards. Use a noun, pronoun or an -ing form after of:

• Be wary of unfamiliar links.
• The dog was wary of strangers.
• I was wary of it because the instructions were unclear.
• They were wary of making a promise too soon.

For the last pattern, use “wary of making,” not “wary of make.” Wary about is also used, especially for a decision or situation: “She was wary about changing the timetable.”

What does “wary of others” mean?

Wary of others means cautious about trusting other people or unsure how they will behave. For example: “After someone broke his confidence, he became wary of others and took time to get to know new friends.” It does not necessarily mean that he dislikes everyone or knows they will harm him.

Wary vs weary

Wary means cautious: “After the earlier mistake, I was wary of the shortcut.” Weary means tired or worn out: “After the long journey, I was weary.” Someone can be both weary from travelling and wary of an unfamiliar route.

The words also sound different in common pronunciations: wary sounds like WAIR-ee, while weary sounds like WEER-ee. A useful spelling reminder is that weary contains an extra e.

Wary in a sentence: examples and related forms

Wariness is the noun: “Her wariness led her to read the instructions twice.” Warily is the adverb: “He approached the unfamiliar animal warily.” The comparative and superlative are warier and wariest.

• The learners were wary of guessing before checking the example.
• She gave the unfamiliar visitor a wary glance—a cautious look that showed uncertainty.
• They kept a wary eye on the dark clouds, watching for signs that the weather might worsen.
• After the confusing explanation, I became warier of the proposed shortcut.

To practise, explain both the caution and its cause. “I was wary of signing because I had not finished reading” gives the reader a clear reason for the feeling.

Practise wary: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. If a question asks you to write a sentence, your own correct example is welcome.

Question 1

Complete the sentence: “She was wary of ___ the instructions.” Ignore or ignoring?

Question 2

Which word means tired: wary or weary?

Question 3

Does “He was wary of the offer” prove the offer was dishonest?

Keep learning

Watch How to pronounce WARY in British English by English with Collins Dictionary on YouTube.

Compare these words next: Insouciant meaning and practice and Pusillanimous meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Wary. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.