Also 6 waree, warye, 6–7 warie, 7–8 warry, 7 wairie, warrie. [First recorded in the 16th c.; f. WARE a. + -Y1.]
1. Given to caution, habitually on one’s guard against danger, deception, or mistake; circumspect.
1552. Huloet, Wary or wily, oculeus, solers, uigilans. Warye or wyse, uigilans.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Rivers, x. Warne thou the wary, least they hap to stumble.
1575. Gascoigne, Posies, Ep. Yong Gentl. (1907), 13. If you take example by the harmes of others who have eaten it [Hemlocke] before you, then may you chaunce to become so warie, that you will looke advisedly on all the Perceley that you gather, least amongst the same one braunch of Hemlock might anoy you.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., Pref. viii. § 13. Vpon which question … the warier sort of you taking the one part, and the forwarder in zeale the other.
1614. Sylvester, Micro-cosm., Parlt. Vertues Roy., 270. The wisest errs:… The holiest sins: the waiest slips: God is fault-lesse: neuer, Man.
1677. Dryden, Apol. Heroic Poetry, b 2. This kind of Genius writes indeed correctly. A wary man be is in Grammar; very nice as to Solæcism or Barbarism.
1718. Echard, Hist. Eng., III. 588. He [Sir William Jones] being a Person of great Vertue and Piety…; besides this, of a very rich, and of a wary, or rather timorous Nature.
1805. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1835), III. 590. If he had recollected the cautious and wary character of that chief.
1820. Byron, Mar. Fal., II. i. 113. The wariest of republics Has lavish’d all its chief employs upon him.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 153. ‘I say nothing about consequences,’ answered the wary diplomatist.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. vii. 32. Godwine was essentially a wary statesman.
1884. Law Rep. 25 Chanc. Div. 319. Mr. Bramley was far too wary to admit of even the suspicion of such a thing.
Comb. 1832. Ht. Martineau, Hill & Valley (1843), 123. A cool, wary-looking man stood by.
b. said of animals.
1614. Earl Stirling, Domesday, III. lvi. The warie Hare, whose feare oft sport hath made.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 213. The Goats are wary and haue their centinels.
1670. Dryden, Conq. Granada, I. i. Whose wary Gennet shunning still the Harm, Seem’d to attend the Shock, and then leap’d wide.
1858. Kingsley, Misc. (1859), I. 135. How many have you delivered from … wary old alligators?
1865. Livingstone, Zambesi, xxiii. 465. The animals are wary, from the dread they have of the poisoned arrows.
1884. Pall Mall Budget, 22 Aug., 27/1. Of all birds the wariest is the curlew.
1912. J. L. Myres, Dawn of Hist., ix. 193. The horse, which is as wary as a watch-dog, is defended against strangers by his heels.
c. with agent-noun or its equivalent.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., b iiij. The third man … erreth to the discredit of the Wary, and modest Astrologien.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 110. A warie observer of his delights … and faithfull partaker of his secrets.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XIV. x. 22. A warie advertiser and adviser of profitable wayes.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, IV. viii. (1640), 181. All know his Holinesse to be too wary an archer to shoot away his arrows at nothing.
1701. G. Stanhope, Pious Breath., St. Bernard, VIII. ii. (1704), 363. Even the most wary liver cannot be clear of guilt.
1855. Kingsley, Heroes, Theseus, II. 214. Theseus was a wary wrestler.
2. On one’s guard, cautious, careful.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., III. v. 40. The day is broke, be wary, looke about. Ibid. (1602), Ham., I. iii. 43. Be wary then, best safety lies in feare.
1659. Burton’s Diary (1828), IV. 272. I hope the gentlemen will be clear, and that they will be warier hereafter.
a. 1676. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man. (1677), 315. Men must be wary and considerate before they conclude against the Frame and Order of things as they appear in Nature.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, vii. If you can, descend with me in silence, I warn you to be wary.
1822. Byron, Werner, I. i. I must be wary; An error would spoil all.
1883. D. C. Murray, Hearts, x. (1885), 77. Mark was disposed to be wary after what had happened.
b. const. of.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 226. If Trauailers in this our age were as warye of their conditions, as they be venterous of their bodyes.
1584–7. Greene, Carde of Fancie, Wks. (Grosart), IV. 102. She which in her virginitie is charie of her chastitie, in her marriage will be as warie of her honestie.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xxii. 9. O therefore loue be of thy selfe so wary, As I not for my selfe, but for thee will.
1686. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 424. You Hadd Best Bee very wary of all yr words and Actions.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, vi. (1841), I. 37. A tradesman ought to be very wary of taking too much credit.
1822. Scott, Peveril, xvii. You have already seen enough of the evils of civil war, to be wary of again awakening its terrors in a peaceful and happy country.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Bagman’s Dog. If ever you travel, like Anthony Blogg, Be wary of strangers!—don’t take too much grog.
c. const. in. In early examples the sense of wary in is that now expressed by wary of: ‘to be wary in (doing something)’ = ‘to be wary of,’ ‘to beware of.’
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 55. Aduising his Lordship to be wary in crediting intelligences, which were commonly false.
1640. in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 108. I am most wary in giving my father the least distast.
1653. W. Ramesey, Astrol. Restored, 290. Ever remember you be wary in pronouncing judgement touching weather and the alteration of the ayr.
1672. Sir T. Browne, Let. Friend, § 8. A remarkable coincidence, which tho Astrology hath taken witty pains to salve yet hath it been very wary in making predictions of it.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Surv. Leviath. (1676), 149. Nor was he more wary in any thing, then … that the people might imagine, that he pretended any other title to the Government, then by the Confessor.
c. 1680. Beveridge, Serm. (1729), I. 53. It cannot but highly concern us all to be very cautious and wary in the choice of our words.
1754. Earl of Corke, in J. Duncombe, Lett. (1773), III. 26. I want instructive companions, and in them I shall be very wary.
d. With indirect question. Now rare or Obs.
1575. Gascoigne, Glasse Govt., Wks. 1910, II. 39. For surely as it [time] is the greatest treasure which God hath given unto man, so ought he to be verie curious and warie how he bestoweth the same.
1602. W. S. Thomas, Ld. Cromwell, IV. v. 94. Therefore, take heed, be warie what you doe.
1622. Gataker, Spirit. Watch (ed. 2), 83. [They] are wont to bee more wary and chary how they carry themselues in their affaires.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 5. They should be wary, where, and when they wash themselues.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Lond. (1662), 208. Thus men cannot be too wary what they inscribe on Tombs.
1740. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. i. 18. You ought to be wary what tales you send out of a family.
1812. Cary, Dante, Parad., XX. 125. O mortal men! be wary how ye judge.
e. With clause or inf. of purpose. ? Obs.
1668. Evelyn, trans. Freart’s Idea Perf. Paint., 56. A Painter is here to be wary, that he introduce no other Figures of Men, or any Buildings in the Landskip.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Surv. Leviath. (1676), 27. Without being in any degree wary to avoid palpable contradictions.
3. Of action, behavior, observation, etc.: Proceeding from or characterized by caution.
1557. Ld. Shrewsbury, in Lodge, Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1791), I. 283. The L. Wardeyn who … is … instructyd by good cyrcumspeccion, & waree doing to shewe [blank] to th’ enymye, in anoying hym, & defendyng of the countrey.
1579. E. Hake, Newes out of Powles (1872), F viij b. Common Innes they [sc. bawds] watch with warie eye If that … they may … espye The country maides that come from far.
1586. A. Day, Engl. Secretorie, I. (1625), 63. If it bee deemed once fit for you to marry again and that upon the warie and circumspect choice thereof dependeth a manner of necessity. Ibid. (1587), Daphnis & Chloe (1890), 6. With so tender & warie touch as yt with her hoofs going in she might no wayes hurte the babe.
1595. Daniel, Civ. Wars, III. xxxvi. Sober, milde Blunt … warnes a warier cariage in the thing.
1599. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., IV. i. When will the Duke … Keepe warie observation in large pay, To dogge a fooles act?
1612. Brinsley, Lud. Lit., xxv. (1627), 270. Yet a wary care must be had, that he be used with respect by the Master.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., I. viii. 30. If any man … shall carry a wary eye on Paulus Venetus … and many other, I think his circumspection is laudable.
1653. Gataker, Vind. Annot. Jer., 55. No Delphik Oracle … could ever have given a wiser and warier answer.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., xxii. 161. The wary letting in the Air upon them.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., III. v. § 9. When they appear, upon a more wary survey, to be nothing else but an Artifice of the Understanding.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 91, ¶ 2. Crastin professes a wary Observation of the Turns of his Mistress’s Mind.
a. 1732. Atterbury, 2nd Serm. on 2 Pet. iii. 16 (1734), I. 277. To read that Sacred Volume, with a Wise Jealousy, and a Wary Distrust of our own selves.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, xlv. I shall keep a wary eye upon all that passes in the chateau.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Old Benchers. L. who had a wary foresight of his probable hallucinations.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, III. 111. It was necessary, also, to keep a wary eye upon the land, for they were … continually in reach of any ambush that might be lurking on shore.
† 4. Careful in expenditure, thrifty, provident.
1605. Lond. Prodigal, I. ii. 159. I knewe your father, he was a wary husband.
a. 1657. Sir W. Mure, Hist., 244. Wnless he had been both stout, warrie, and provident in the turbulent times quherin he lived, he could hardlie have maintained quhat his father had recovered.
1708. Mrs. Centlivre, Busy Body, I. i. I knew thy father, he was a hearty wary man, and I cannot consent that his son should squander away what he saved to no purpose.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 91, ¶ 1. I have, by leading a very wary Life, laid up a little Money.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr., Theatre, 68. Jews from St. Mary Axe, for jobs so wary, That for old cloaths they’d even axe St. Mary.
