leery

[ˈlɪəri]

leery Definition

cautious or suspicious of someone or something.

Using leery: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "leery" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  I'm a little leery of taking advice from him.

• Example

  She was leery of strangers.

• Example

  He gave me a leery look when I asked for his ID.

leery Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for leery

• suspicious
• wary
• distrustful
• skeptical
• doubtful

Antonyms for leery

• trusting
• confident

Phrases with leery

• leery of

  cautious or suspicious of someone or something

  Example

  I'm leery of giving out my personal information online.

• give someone a leery look

  look at someone in a suspicious or distrustful way

  Example

  The security guard gave me a leery look when I entered the building.

• make someone leery

  cause someone to become suspicious or distrustful

  Example

  The company's lack of transparency made investors leery of investing in their stocks.

Origins of leery

from dialect 'lear', meaning 'empty' or 'bare'

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Summary: leery in Brief

'Leery' [ˈlɪəri] is an adjective that describes someone who is cautious or suspicious of someone or something. It is often used in phrases like 'leery of,' as in 'I'm leery of giving out my personal information online.' 'Leery' can also be used to describe a look, as in 'He gave me a leery look when I asked for his ID.'