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

单词	charily
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 charily adverb as in guardedly* Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance guardedly hesitatingly warily reprovingly hesitantly unbelievingly reproachfully doubtingly questioningly doubtfully quizzically critically incredulously distrustfully cynically disparagingly deprecatingly dubiously unfavorably askant captiously negatively disapprovingly anxiously reproachingly askance suspiciously skeptically uneasily mistrustfully apprehensively uncomfortably sideways Antonyms & Near Antonyms trustingly positively trustfully favorably approvingly confidently sanguinely unquestioningly uncritically credulously See More
随便看	quiet quiet (down) quiet day quiet down quiet-spoken quieted quieted (down) quieted down ricksticks ricky-tick ricky-ticky rickyard rickyards RICO ricochet ricochet fire ricocheted ricocheting ricochets ricochetted ricochetting ricolettaite ricotta ricottas ricrac

chary

adjective

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adverb