Adjacent Words

Chary definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHARY, a. [Sax. Cearig. See Care.] Careful; wary; frugal.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: characterized by great caution and wariness; "a cagey avoidance of a definite answer"; "chary of the risks involved"; "a chary investor" [syn: cagey, cagy, chary]

Merriam Webster's

adjective (charier; -est) Etymology: Middle English, sorrowful, dear, from Old English cearig sorrowful, from caru sorrow — more at care Date: 15th century 1. archaic dear, treasured 2. discreetly cautious: as a. hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks b. slow to grant, accept, or expend <a person very chary of compliments> Synonyms: see cautious • charily adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. (charier, chariest) 1 cautious, wary (chary of employing such people). 2 sparing; ungenerous (chary of giving praise). 3 shy. Derivatives: charily adv. chariness n. Etymology: OE cearig

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Chary Char"y, a. [AS. cearig careful, fr. cearu care. See Care.] Careful; wary; cautious; not rash, reckless, or spendthrift; saving; frugal. His rising reputation made him more chary of his fame. --Jeffrey.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you are chary of doing something, you are fairly cautious about doing it. I am rather chary of making too many idiotic mistakes. ADJ: v-link ADJ, usu ADJ of/about -ing/n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Cautious, wary, careful, shy, circumspect.

Moby Thesaurus

Scotch, cagey, calculating, canny, careful, cheeseparing, circumspect, conserving, considerate, constrained, discreet, disinclined, distrustful, economic, economical, economizing, forehanded, frugal, gingerly, guarded, hesitant, inhibited, labor-saving, leery, loath, mistrustful, money-saving, parsimonious, penny-wise, provident, prudent, prudential, reluctant, restrained, safe, saving, scrimping, shy, skimping, spare, sparing, suspecting, suspicious, thrifty, time-saving, unwasteful, wary