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
When the two talked, Doumbia was leery of just about anybody.
—
Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
The costs associated with owning a condo may have prospective buyers feeling leery.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
Many crypto industry leaders, as well as some members of Congress, are leery of the government holding something so risky.
—Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Mar. 2025
The Republican governor has been leery of the more visually violent execution method.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
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Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Apr. 2025
The costs associated with owning a condo may have prospective buyers feeling leery.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 21 Mar. 2025
Many crypto industry leaders, as well as some members of Congress, are leery of the government holding something so risky.
—Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Mar. 2025
The Republican governor has been leery of the more visually violent execution method.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for leery
Cite this Entry
“Leery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leery. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leery
adjective
: suspicious sense 2, wary
leery of strangers
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