less common spelling of leery
: suspicious, wary
—often used with of
leery of strangers
She seemed a little leery of the proposal.
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
John Werner, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
At the same time, polls have shown that Americans have become increasingly leery of artificial intelligence, fearing its effects on jobs and the environment.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for leary
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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
Scores of businesses and shops in downtown Geneva boarded up their storefronts with wooden panels as a precaution, leery of upheaval that left a trail of damage in the city during a similar summit in Evian in 2003.
—Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
At the same time, polls have shown that Americans have become increasingly leery of artificial intelligence, fearing its effects on jobs and the environment.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 4 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for leary
Cite this Entry
“Leary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leary. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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