Synonyms for wary
- adjective
Most common
cautious careful circumspect scrupulous mistrustful suspicious
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Cautious — cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously…
cautious, careful, circumspect, scrupulous, prudent, guarded, vigilant, shy, watchful, aware, discreet, canny, alert, sly, on guard, gingerly, deliberate, thoughtful, chary, calculating, awake, politic
2. Mistrustful
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, trickery, and dangers; suspiciously prudent
- adj. 2
Characterized by caution; guarded; careful; on one's guard
Choose the right word
One is vigilant against danger or harm; he may be alert or watchful for good as well as against evil; he is wary in view of suspected stratagem, trickery, or treachery.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- careful You should be careful in crossing the busy street.
- cautious Be cautious around the well, accidents can happen.
- scrupulous Tom is scrupulous in matters of business.
- circumspect I'm merely being a little more circumspect.
- suspicious A policeman was gazing at a suspicious pedestrian.
- mistrustful I'm not mistrustful; I'm simply cautious.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| wary | rising | |
| careful | steady | |
| cautious | rising | |
| scrupulous | steady | |
| circumspect | rising | |
| suspicious | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- shy1, sly1
- 5 letters
- aware2, alert2, awake2, canny2, leary2, chary2
- 6 letters
- afraid2
- 7 letters
- careful2, guarded2, prudent2, politic3
- 8 letters
- cautious2, discreet2, vigilant3, watchful2, gingerly3
- 10 letters
- suspicious3, deliberate4, thoughtful2, scrupulous3, untrusting
- 11 letters
- calculating4, distrustful3, circumspect3, mistrustful3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (aware2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- méfiant
- Italiano
- diffidente
- Español
- receloso
- Deutsch
- misstrauisch
- Català
- desconfiat