i Register
In some senses, leery is marked as obsolete, slang, UK. Watch for register when choosing this word.
leery
/ˈlɪəɹi/
adj 3
Collocations
4ADJ.
old, pretty
LEERY + NOUN
animals, anything, outsiders, people
PREP.
along, on
ADV.
always, often, such
Definitions
adj
1
Cautious, suspicious, wary, hesitant, or nervous about something; having reservations or concerns.
Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of animals.
“[…]He was one of their top gun-fighters—always up to his ears in the thick of any fightin' that was goin' on. He never was leery of anything on two feet, I'll say that much for'm.”
2
Sly; artful; knowing.
3
Leering; lecherous or unpleasant.
And there was a particularly brutal villain with leery eyes, ugly mouth, with one tooth gone, and an iron jaw like a hull-dog's.
Thesaurus
Synonyms
adjective — openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
- mistrustful
- suspicious
- untrusting
- wary
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
Since he was bitten by a dog when he was young, he has always been leery of animals.
Wiktionary02
“[…]He was one of their top gun-fighters—always up to his ears in the thick of any fightin' that was goin' on. He never was leery of anything on two feet, I'll say that much for'm.”
Wiktionary03
“He's so darn afraid you'll be offended if he smokes. You scare him. Every time he speaks of the weather you jump him because he ain't talking about poetry or Gertie—Goethe?—or some other highbrow jun
Wiktionary04
Be leery of those who claim someone is non compos mentis and let rationale be your judge.
Tatoeba · #458661005
I'm always leery of such people.
Tatoeba · #1003331606
I'd be pretty leery of walking along the docks at night.
Tatoeba · #13172126Usage Notes
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