chary

adjective

ˈcher-ē

charier; chariest

: discreetly cautious: such as

: hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks

a government chary of getting involved in foreign entanglements

: slow to grant, accept, or expend

a person very chary of compliments

archaic : dear, treasured

charily

ˈcher-ə-lē How to pronounce chary (audio)

adverb

Did you know?

It was sorrow that bred the caution of chary. In Middle English chary meant "sorrowful," a sense that harks back to the word's Old English ancestor caru (an early form of care, and another term that originally meant "sorrow" or "grief"). In a sense switch that demonstrates that love can be both bitter and sweet, chary later came to mean "dear" or "cherished." That's how 16th-century English dramatist George Peele used it: "the chariest and the choicest queen, That ever did delight my royal eyes." Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from chary, however, and in Modern English the word is most often used as a synonym of either careful or sparing.

Example Sentences

chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust

Recent Examples on the Web He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor.

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022 Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions.

Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021 Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it.

Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021 With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in.

Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021 That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon.

John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021 Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics.

Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020 The autocratic Chinese government is also chary of any display of mass mobilization, even benign ones like Pride.

Charlie Campbell / Shanghai, Time, 15 June 2018 Rising interest rates in America prompted investors to take a charier view of emerging markets.

The Economist, 14 June 2018 See More

chary

adjective

as in wary

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

wary
cautious
careful
circumspect
alert
heedful
guarded
gingerly
considerate
conservative
vigilant
attentive
watchful
thoughtful
regardful
safe
advertent
observant
awake
canny
cagey
provident
foresighted
cagy
calculating
deliberate
shrewd
slow
foresightful
hypercautious
forethoughtful
ultracautious
ultracareful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

careless
unmindful
heedless
reckless
impetuous
venturesome
bold
unsafe
rash
regardless
negligent
unguarded
incautious
brash
unwary
remiss
inattentive
lax
thoughtless
indiscreet
imprudent
injudicious
inconsiderate
neglectful
asleep
forgetful
inadvertent
unintentional
unplanned
absentminded

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of chary are cautious, circumspect, and wary. While all these words mean "prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk," chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely.

chary of signing papers without having read them first

The words cautious and chary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger.

a cautious driver

While the synonyms circumspect and chary are close in meaning, circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding.

circumspect in his business dealings

Although the words wary and chary have much in common, wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it.

keeps a wary eye on the competition

单词	chary
释义	chary adjective ˈcher-ē charier; chariest 1 : discreetly cautious: such as a : hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks a government chary of getting involved in foreign entanglements b : slow to grant, accept, or expend a person very chary of compliments 2 archaic : dear, treasured charily ˈcher-ə-lē adverb Did you know? It was sorrow that bred the caution of chary. In Middle English chary meant "sorrowful," a sense that harks back to the word's Old English ancestor caru (an early form of care, and another term that originally meant "sorrow" or "grief"). In a sense switch that demonstrates that love can be both bitter and sweet, chary later came to mean "dear" or "cherished." That's how 16th-century English dramatist George Peele used it: "the chariest and the choicest queen, That ever did delight my royal eyes." Both sorrow and affection have largely faded from chary, however, and in Modern English the word is most often used as a synonym of either careful or sparing. Synonyms alert careful cautious circumspect conservative considerate gingerly guarded heedful safe wary See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust Recent Examples on the Web He’s not as guarded or chary as he was immersed in the Boston Baseball Experience, where one wrong step or word can spark furor. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 18 July 2022 Knox was a bit chary on specifics, but no athlete allows that many injections without asking questions. Richard A. Lovett, Outside Online, 1 Sep. 2021 Beautiful is a strong word, and artists, critics and scholars are chary of it. Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2021 With a writer so chary of detail, the reader rushes to fill in. Caleb Crain, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2021 That tone is most obvious in the author’s chary regard of his icon. John Semley, The New Republic, 26 May 2021 Evangelical Christians, traditionally chary of getting involved in partisan politics. Rick Perlstein, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2020 The autocratic Chinese government is also chary of any display of mass mobilization, even benign ones like Pride. Charlie Campbell / Shanghai, Time, 15 June 2018 Rising interest rates in America prompted investors to take a charier view of emerging markets. The Economist, 14 June 2018 See More Word History Etymology Middle English charri "sorrowful, dear, cherished," going back to Old English cearig "troubled, troublesome, taking care," going back to Germanic karaga- (whence Old Saxon & Old High German karag* "sorrowful"), from karō "sorrow, worry" + -aga-, by-form of -iga- -y entry 1 — more at care entry 1 First Known Use 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2 chary adjective as in wary* having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble chary investors who weren't burned by the dot-com bust Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance wary cautious careful circumspect alert heedful guarded gingerly considerate conservative vigilant attentive watchful thoughtful regardful safe advertent observant awake canny cagey provident foresighted cagy calculating deliberate shrewd slow foresightful hypercautious forethoughtful ultracautious ultracareful Antonyms & Near Antonyms careless unmindful heedless reckless impetuous venturesome bold unsafe rash regardless negligent unguarded incautious brash unwary remiss inattentive lax thoughtless indiscreet imprudent injudicious inconsiderate neglectful asleep forgetful inadvertent unintentional unplanned absentminded See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of chary are cautious, circumspect, and wary. While all these words mean "prudently watchful and discreet in the face of danger or risk," chary implies a cautious reluctance to give, act, or speak freely. chary of signing papers without having read them first The words cautious and chary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, cautious implies the exercise of forethought usually prompted by fear of danger. a cautious driver While the synonyms circumspect and chary are close in meaning, circumspect suggests less fear and stresses the surveying of all possible consequences before acting or deciding. circumspect in his business dealings Although the words wary and chary have much in common, wary emphasizes suspiciousness and alertness in watching for danger and cunning in escaping it. keeps a wary eye on the competition
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chary

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

Synonym Chooser