variants or less commonly leary
: suspicious, wary
often used with of
leery of strangers
She seemed a little leery of the proposal.

Examples of leery in a Sentence

They were leery of their neighbors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Besides the call for deeper cuts, some Republican senators are leery of the House push to phase out tax credits for big energy projects in their states. Carl Hulse, New York Times, 22 May 2025 Is there a reason for a CFO candidate to be leery of working for a company that is looking for its next CEO? Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025 But Polis is leery of the idea, and, with a veto possible, the bill went unmentioned during a celebratory news conference Thursday. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 9 May 2025 The costs associated with owning a condo may have prospective buyers feeling leery. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for leery

Word History

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leery was in 1718

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leery. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

leery

adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers

More from Merriam-Webster on leery

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