Wary

How to spell wary

4 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce wary

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does wary mean?

1. adjectiveFeeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.

Wary in a sentence

• Investors grew wary after the company missed three earnings targets.

• She remained wary of the salesman who promised guaranteed returns.

Where does wary come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This word descends from the Old English wær, an adjective meaning watchful, cautious, or on one's guard, which itself grew from a Germanic root tied to the idea of paying careful attention. The same ancient root sits inside the verb 'beware' and the noun 'aware', all of them circling the notion of keeping a careful eye on something. By the late 1500s the modern form 'wary' had settled in, built by adding the familiar adjective ending -y to the older stem. A useful relative is the word 'ware', as in the old warning cry 'ware!' meaning watch out, which preserves the original sense almost untouched. The most common spelling trap is mixing it up with 'weary', meaning tired; remembering that 'wary' shares its heart with 'aware' and 'beware', all about awareness rather than exhaustion, keeps the spelling on track.

How the word is built

• war- (from Old English wær: watchful, on guard)
• -y (adjective suffix)