leary

1 of 2

adjective (1)

less common spelling of leery

: suspicious, wary
often used with of
leery of strangers
She seemed a little leery of the proposal.

leery

2 of 2

adjective (2)

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

Examples of leary in a Sentence

Adjective (2) 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.
Adjective
Farmers often have funding from investors who may be leary of putting money into less competitive forms of enterprise. John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
DeSantis was also leery of the task force that the bill set up to study and make recommendations for further electric-bicycle regulations. Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 27 June 2026 DeSantis was also leery of the task force the bill set up to study and make recommendations for further electric bicycle regulations. Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for leary

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective (2)

1718, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leary was in 1718

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Cite this Entry

“Leary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leary. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

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