leery

adj.suspicious

Synonyms for leery

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Antonyms for leery

Word Origin & History

"untrusting, suspicious, alert," 1718, originally slang, with -y (2), and perhaps from dialectal lere "learning, knowledge" (see lore), or from leer (v.) in some now-obscure sense. OED suggests connection with archaic leer (adj.) "empty, useless," a general Germanic word (cf. German leer, Dutch laar), of unknown origin.

Example Sentences forleery

He was so silent and so kind of pleasant-looking I got leery of him.

He is a leery one, this; now he is not more than a yard and a half from the target.

But be leery that we don't get stuck for non-performance: which we can't afford.

Their emotions are mostly expressed by indeterminable, leery grins.

She was entirely frigid or else so leery of men that she might as well have been one herself.

The mathematician gave me a leery look, picked up in barracks.

I don't know why, but almost every fellow is leery of that position.

He twirled his Calabrian headpiece in his hands, and let his leery eyes wander about the walls.

She's a leery old bird—reminds me of one of those pictures of Fate, don't you know.

Lungy was leery that I was soft on Lucy—I might have been, easy enough—and sat looking at me for a straight hour.

leery

careful

cautious

chary

disbelieving

distrustful

leery

More words related to leery

cagey

careful

cautious

chary

disbelieving

distrustful