Both spellings would be pronounced identically, which makes it difficult to remember which is correct. Having one's patience, relish, or contentment exhausted; tired; sick. Hard to believe. Most dictionaries, including the Oxford English Dictionary and the American Heritage Dictionary, don’t even list this spelling. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out / Little Red Riding Hood was wise to be leery of the Big Bad Wolf, for example, just as you should be leery of raw chicken that has turned gray.
Please add askdifference.com to your ad blocking whitelist or disable your adblocking software. Is it leery or leary? But perhaps the main reason these two words are often conflated has to do with wary‘s synonym: leery, which phonetically sounds very close to weary. Wary is first recorded in the mid-1500s. It is rooted in ware, an older adjective equivalent and related to aware.
Let’s take the following sentence: James is feeling a little (XXXX) about letting Bill borrow his shovel. In this article, I will compare weary vs. wary. What does leery mean?
People confuse one word for another, it hits the mainstream, and before you know it the language has altered in a tiny way. Learn more!
Weary is obviously not the correct word in this context. Wary vs. Weary: How To Tell Them Apart Wary and weary are words that make us do a verbal double take.
( Log Out / When you are suspicious, uneasy, mistrustful, or wary of someone or something, you might also be leery.
Leary is a variant spelling that hasn’t been widely used in 100 years.
For two, they are fairly similar in pronunciation and spelling. There are several factors that contribute to the confusion between these two words. Find more ways to say leery, along with related words, antonyms and example phrases at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. For a Great Vocabulary, have a Healthy Heart. Summary. For now, though, it’s not a good idea to send a business email expressing your “weariness” about hiring John Doe or about making an upcoming presentation. Most people use the terms interchangeably. The opposing team was leery of the water bottles offered them by the home team, as they might be laced with sedatives. So when it comes to distinguishing the two, don’t grow weary, just be wary of your intended use and you’ll be fine! Bryan Garner estimates the difference in usage between leery and leary to be 32:1. Leery is an adjective that means wary or suspicious. It is probably related to the verb leer, which has the meaning to give a sideways glance. Flounder – What’s the Difference? The watches are probably counterfeit or stolen, and you should leave at once.
Leary is a nonstandard variant of leery. What does leery mean?
What Is The Difference Between “Psychopath” vs. “Sociopath”? Leery is an adjective that means suspicious or uneasy. Leery vs Wary - What's the difference? Another word for leery.
Leary or Leery – What’s the Correct Spelling? We need money to operate the site, and almost all of it comes from our online advertising. leery vs leary vs wary vs weary.
What’s the difference between leery and wary?Wary is one definition of leery.Wary implies that the thing you’re wary of might be dangerous or troublesome. Is it leery or leary?
Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; tired; fatigued. For now, the dictionary still reads thusly (all definitions from m-w.com), Weary: 1 : exhausted in strength, endurance, vigor, or freshness 2: expressing or characteristic of weariness 3: having one’s patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted —used with of
wary- cautious- I am wary of that big angry looking dog. "Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of … Have you ever started out saying “I was wary of the situation,” pause, and think: “Wait, or was I weary of the situation?” We have! The few dictionaries that do list it list it only as a secondary spelling behind leery. It entails having reservations and concerns for an action. wary and leery are similar.
The Best (And Worst) Things To Say While Public Speaking. –, If you are using the word as an adjective that means. Don't exhaust yourself trying to tell the difference between "weary" and "wary." In this post, I will compare leary vs. leery.
As a verb weary is to make or to become weary. It entails carefully watching and guarding against deception. Some American dictionaries list leary as a variant spelling of leery. First, we can knock out "leary" because it's a name not a word. Leary is … : *1623 , (William Shakespeare), (As You Like It) , : *:I care not for my spirits if my legs were not weary . BeeDictionary.com is an Online American English Dictionary with intuitive browsing interface.
"Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of animals. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply.
"The thought of paperwork I have to do is weary enough." When you walk down a dark alley at night and a strange man offers to sell you some wristwatches, you have every right to be suspicious of him. Have you ever started out saying “I was wary of the situation,” pause, and think: “Wait, or was I weary of the situation?” We have! Timothy Leary (it's not likely that many people younger than me know who he even is) There is also Denis Leary.
Leery vs Weary - What's the difference? Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct?
Wary can also mean “arising from or characterized by caution.” In this context the word would be used like: The mother shot the group of teenagers by the swing set a wary look. The White House is backing a health care proposal that would make it easier for insurance companies to avoid complying with consumer protection standards, siding with some of the most conservative senators, though Senate Republican leaders remain leery of the idea.
That was a mouthful ….
Leery: : suspicious, wary —often used with of
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Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns. and this: Wary: marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchfulness especially in detecting and escaping danger for example: The store owner kept a wary eye on him.
Jessica was leery of working alone in the warehouse with Mark, because she did not trust him to maintain a respectful personal distance.
There are several factors that contribute to the confusion between these two words. Leery rhymes with dreary.Therefore, the pronunciation of leery is LEER-ee. It entails carefully watching and guarding against deception.
How to Use Wary vs. weary Correctly – Grammarist Grammarist is a professional online English grammar dictionary, that provides a variety of grammatical tools, rules and tips in order to improve your grammar and to help you distinguish between commonly misspelled words. Wary is the feeling of danger and be cautious about it. Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that you can use to decide whether leary or leery is correct. It comes from Old English wērig, meaning the same as weary: “tired, fatigued, exhausted.” This adjective is related to an Old English verb wōrian, “to crumble, break down, totter.” Ever feel so tired you’re going to fall apart? What does leary mean?
Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that you can use to decide whether leary or leery is correct. Views: 528.
But not really. via a reporter.
Lately I’ve heard a lot of people say that they’re “weary” when referring to being reluctant or suspicious about doing something.
So, what’s the biggest difference? Leery was first recorded in English in 1718. But I hear it often. It is usually used with the preposition of (e.g., I am leery of warehouses). How to Pronounce Leery. Because, you see, over time language changes.
Home » Leary or Leery – What’s the Correct Spelling? Have You Ever Found One Word That Helped You Define Yourself?
", United States psychologist who experimented with psychoactive drugs (including LSD) and became a well-known advocate of their use (1920-1996), openly distrustful and unwilling to confide.
*(Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) (1807-1882) *:[I] am weary , thinking of your task. So, let’s dive in to see what the difference actually is.
Wary vs. Weary: How To Tell Them Apart Wary and weary are words that make us do a verbal double take. *:I care not for my spirits if my legs were not, *:There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's.
weary- tired, sleepy- After a long day I am weary and ready for bed. However, there is no A in leery as there is in dreary.. As a verb, weary means “to make or become weary; fatigue or tire” or “to grow impatient of.” For example, His boring story wearied the party guests. I will outline the correct spelling and use it in several example sentences to demonstrate its proper context. leery . Wary. See more. Adjective (er) Having the strength exhausted by toil or exertion; tired; fatigued. This entry was posted on January 16, 2011 at 6:14 pm and is filed under grammar, language. leery | wary | As adjectives the difference between leery and wary is that leery is cautious, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns while wary is cautious of danger; carefully watching and guarding against deception, artifices, and dangers; timorously or suspiciously prudent The word wary is used as an adjective meaning that one is being “watchful or on one’s guard against danger.” For example: The mother was very wary of the group of teenagers huddling by the swing set.
Or is it leary? Words come in from other languages, words fade out of use or change meaning, pronunciation changes. Wary is the feeling of danger and be cautious about it.
What is the Difference Between Weary and Wary? Leery is a state of being cautious, hesitant or nervous about something. Have you ever started out saying “I was wary of the situation,” pause, and think: “Wait, or was I weary of the situation?” We have! Change ). Capitalization Is Complicated: Can You Answer These Questions Correctly.